Hermione's World
by RainDrop1
Summary: Is Hermione the same girl who always knows the answers in class, is best friends with Harry and Ron, and is not the prettiest fish in the ocean? Find out by reading Hermione's World...
1. Hermione's Jealousy

Chapter One: Hermione's Jealousy  
  
"Harry, Harry, Harry," Hermione whispered as she watched Ron and Harry playing some Wizard Chess by the fireplace.   
  
Now that they were seventh year students, they could almost get the nice chairs with big fluffy chairs and good armrests by the fireplace.  
  
It was the end of fall and term exams were almost soon-to-be. They were all enjoying themselves before they would have to start cramming all about the uses of dragon blood, and what all. Everyone, but Hermione. She was reading a book called, 'The Warlock Conventions of the Fifteenth Century'.  
  
"Put that book down Hermione. Ron just beat me in Wizard Chess. We're going outside for a bit now. Come with us," Harry said with his interesting green eyes jumping up and down.  
  
It was also Sunday, a day to spend with your friends. Hermione jumped up eagerly. Any moment Harry spoke to her, her heart beat would be up and going.  
  
"Outside? But this book is really most informative on all the Warlock Conventions back from when Nicholas Flamel was... but a child. It gives tons of back ground on why he became such a big influence to our present lives."  
  
"Aw, put the book down Hermione. Come with us. Harry reckons that we can sneak into Hogsmeade later with the Marauder's Map."  
  
"What on Earth would you want to sneak into Hogsmeade for?"  
  
"Get some candy, throw a party," Harry added mischeviously.  
  
"A party, what for?"  
  
"No reason," Ron replied grinning.  
  
"You're an idiot Ron."  
  
"That's great. Now come on!"  
  
"Coming, coming," Hermione said folding the top right corner of a page in the book and bringing it outside, clutched to her chest.  
  
There were many people outside. There were plenty seventh years, about 25 of the total 40. Cho Chang from Ravenclaw saw Hermione, Harry, and Ron walking outside and offered a friendly smiled. She ran up to them.  
  
"Hey you guys. What's going on?" Cho asked.  
  
"Oh nothing. We just felt like coming outside," Harry answered grinning back at the pretty girl who stood 5 feet 4 inches, just like Hermione.  
  
In life, she was actually nothing like Hermione. Hermione Granger had become one of the most beautiful girls in Hogwarts. Her bushy brown hair became thinner, curlier (with a $100.00 perm) and neck-length.   
  
Braces (from her mother who was a dentist) fixed her teeth and she had a perfect smile matching shining brown eyes. She glanced timidly at Cho Chang. She was as popular as Ron, Harry, and Hermione. She had short-cut straight black hair, slanted black eyes, thin lips that were outlined with clear or frosty pink lip gloss, whatever mood she was in let her choose the shade. She was just as beautiful as Hermione, talented on the Quidditch field, and a good student, although nowhere near Hermione, intelligence wise.  
  
  
  
  
  
Now Cho was wearing a frosty pink lip-gloss, a frosty pink tube top, black silk flares, and platform black leather clogs. Hermione was wearing a white baby-tee and some faded denim flares. She was stylish, though not nearly as flashy as Cho. Of course, almost everyone liked the slim, sophisticated teen.  
  
"Really? That's cool. I just made some Banana Bread, using this new spell I learned in Cooking. It's Banana Sporacious. Would you like some?" Cho offered.  
  
"Sure," Ron said taking a large piece.  
  
Harry took a hearty piece and enjoyed it. "This is great Cho. I didn't even know Hogwarts had a Cooking course."  
  
"Well, they don't, but we all know that Professor Filtwick has a bunch of charms up his sleeves. I stay after sometimes, just to learn how to make these special treats. Do you like it Hermione?"  
  
Hermione nibbled at her piece. "It's great Cho."  
  
She though to herself. Why must Cho be so elegant, perfect, and why is Harry attracted to her so much?  
  
"Do you want to come with us Cho? We're going to Hogsmeade, sneaking out, bringing some snacks back," Harry offered.  
  
Not fair, Hermione thought, burning with jealousy.  
  
"That would be totally awesome!"  
  
"Great."  
  
"You know guys, I don't feel too good. I think I'm going to go back to Gryffindor Common Room and finish reading my book, swing by Madam Pomfrey, see if she has anything for a stomach ache," Hermione said.  
  
"Stomach ache. Oh, I hope it wasn't my Banana Bread," Cho said, putting on an ever-so-sweet look, while linking hands with Harry.  
  
Hermione cringed. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't your Banana Bread. I'm just tired, I've been doing so much. I'll go take a nap."  
  
"That's a good idea Hermione. We'll let Harry and Cho bring back the goodies and we can stay and rest. I need a nap too."  
  
Ron, you idiot. Now Cho will have Harry, entirely all to herself. Could life get worse? The last thing I want is Cho and Harry sharing a Butter Beer at the Three Broomsticks, with Cho's head rested on Harry's firm shoulder. Both captains of their house Quidditch teams, leaving nerdy old me to my book on the Warlock conventions. Sigh!  
  
"Okay, are you sure you don't want to go? I mean, I don't feel like making you put yourself out on my behalf."  
  
"Hey, what are friends for?"  
  
"Are you sure you'll be okay Hermione? Cause me and Cho are going to head off then. It's best we go now, so we're back before too long."  
  
"We'll try to make it by sun down, but it might be hard," Cho said giggling.  
  
They parted. Cho got on Harry's broom, sat infront of Harry while Harry put his arms around her slender hips and gripped the broom. They flew up in laughs.  
  
Ron and Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor Common room. The trip to Madam Pomfrey's medicine cabinet was forgotten.  
  
"Are you feeling okay now Hermione?" Ron asked timidly.  
  
"Yeah, I'm better, I don't know what happened earlier."  
  
"Let's go get some good chairs and we can rest by the fire."  
  
"Thank you Ron. You are the most thoughtful little dear at times."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Except for when you don't do your homework."  
  
"Oh Hermione!"  
  
"Just kidding darling."  
  
"You need to get out more. I mean, for the seven years I've known you, you haven't changed a bit."  
  
"Neither have you Ron. Still the same old red haired, freckle faced, large palmed, tall guy that scrambles to finish his homework."  
  
"There isn't anything wrong with having-."  
  
"I wasn't finished Ron. The only thing that has changed, is that you've become a lot cuter."  
  
"You're pretty now Hermione."  
  
"Sure you aren't kidding?"  
  
"No really Hermione. You're really pretty."  
  
"Well, look at Harry. He's come back with some of that frosty pink lip-gloss on his cheek, and some Butter Beer for us. He looks like he's just had the time of his life. We've been sitting around, and he gets all the fun," Hermione muttered looking at Harry.  
  
"Yes! I love Butter Beer!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"You're another story. You can ONLY think about food," Hermione said crossly, hiding giggles.  
  
Harry came running up to them.  
  
"Look at this! I've got tons of food. Help yourself Ron, not that you need me saying that. Me and Cho are going out now. She's really sweet, plus we're going to go to Filtwick's tomorrow after class and learn how to make a chocolate cake. It's a Muggle type of food that's supposed to be really good. I've had it once or twice, but I hardly remember. The Dursley's never really ever fed me. Cho's so nice! We're going to look at some garden catalogs during dinner to find her a good flower arrangement for her Grandma's birthday."  
  
"Nice to know you had a good time," Hermione muttered.  
  
"Don't be cross Hermione. I'll still spend time with you guys. How can I forget my friends?"  
  
"Never Harry. We're friends forever. You didn't get any Acid Pops did you? They've burnt my tounge before. Awesome! You bought some of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans."  
  
"Well, I'd better get some rest before dinner starts," Harry said. He walked into the seventh year Gryffindor boys' Dormitory, flopped down on his four poster bed and almost instantly began to snore.  
  
  
  



	2. Hermione and Ron

Chapter two: Hermione and Ron  
  
I remember our first years, second, and third years. Our fourth, fifth, sixth years. They sort of went blank, for some reason. Why did we stop talking? Or, rather, why did I stop talking to you? What was the stupid reason of madness for me to be mad at you? I'm such an idiot at times. Oh great God, why does it even matter? How could I not keep my eyes off your handsome green ones? You're the most amazing wizard of them all. I remember you were supposed to be in Slytherin. Well, I know my dear Harry. You changed your path in life, only to discover that you wanted to be in Gryffindor. You changed the course of your life, all for the better. Here's a little secret of mine now. I was supposed to be in Ravenclaw. Surprise, surprise, I wanted to be in Gryffindor, told the Sorting Hat that as well. We were brought together by fate, fate and nothing else. We were always and still are always meant to be together. Why can't I talk to you? Why must I keep petty thoughts to myself, in mind and sorrow? Life and love, two things I will always strive for. I love you Harry, crazy am I? Of course. You like Cho Chang, that little angel, everyone thinks. I can see through the mini-skirts, oh God no, that would be revolting, you know what I mean. But I know what's behind the make-up and bottles and bottles of frosty-pink lip-gloss. I'm not stupid. Don't play me as a fool. Don't you dare keep playing Harry as a fool! He doesn't deserve that. Well he does, until he dumps you!  
  
"Hermione. I need to talk to you. Harry's been acting pretty funny lately. All about Cho and stuff. He says stuff to me, you know, I really need to talk to you," Ron mumbled in the Great Hall at breakfast one day.  
  
"Well, don't you think we should go somewhere a bit more private than the Great Hall?" Hermione asked bewildered.  
  
"Good idea, good idea. Let's meet up in the Lunar Observatory of the North Wing in the Astronomy Chambers. Nobody ever goes in there," Ron said.  
  
"Okay. We'll go, after we finish eating," Hermione agreed.  
  
They left the Great Hall in anxious foot steps. After an endless amount of walking, they reached the Lunar Observatory of the North Wing in the Astronomy Chambers.  
  
"Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" Hermione asked after securing the lock on the door.  
  
"Well, you know, Harry's going to be gone with Cho to Hogsmeade this weekend, it is a Hogsmeade weekend, but I don't want to be all alone. I was wondering if you'd spend some time with me when we went to Hogsmeade," Ron admitted.  
  
"What? You can't possibly have any feelings, if that's what people still call them, for me, can you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well sure Hermione. How many times have I told you how beautiful I think you are?" Ron replied.  
  
"Once. A few days ago."  
  
"Well, I'm only just letting my emotions down."  
  
"But still, Harry likes Cho that much?"  
  
"Harry's dead gone on her. Though, I think I know why. Why don't you ever wear flashy red mini-dresses Hermione?"  
  
Hermione shot Ron dagger eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Only kidding Hermione. Lets walk back now. Harry will be looking for us."  
  
"Won't he be too busy with Cho to care about us?"  
  
"Don't be ridiculous, friends forever!"  
  
"That's us," Hermione replied, wearing an awfully weak smile.  
  
"Friends till the END!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"As you wish Ron."  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Harry was bored, deathly bored. Honestly, under the looks and oh so sweetness, Cho was just ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous, as Hermione would say. Hermione's laugh, her "look", her smile, and her caring.   
  
Their friendship wasn't based on the fact that Harry had a lightning scar. Cho was by far, one of the most beautiful girls Harry had ever met, but would he really fall for her. He wasn't that stupid. I hope Ron's plan works. He's a life saver, Harry thought as he let Cho pop a green grape into his mouth.  
  
They were sitting under a great Oak Tree.   
  
The shade covered Cho's pale skin.  
  
"I need a tan, don't you think I need a tan?" Cho asked.  
  
"Don't you have a charm to give you a tan?" Harry asked boredly.  
  
"Well, yeah, but the natural way is so much better."  
  
"But you made Banana Bread the unnatural way."  
  
"So what?"  
  
"That makes no sense."  
  
"Well, I can make mistakes too."  
  
"You know Cho, I think it's best for me not to 'see' anyone right now. I mean, I'm kind of not wanting a 'relationship'."  
  
"What's wrong? What have I done? Do you want a damp cloth? Maybe your scar is burning up, because you are acting crazy. What will Lydia and Shiree say if I get dumped? I've never been dumped!"  
  
"Well, Cho, maybe later, but I don't feel like going out, I'm sorry you're feeling so weird about this. We don't have to tell anyone, I don't want to tell anyone just yet."  
  
"That's good, at least give me time to think out something dramatic, a reason for us. So we both won't be emberassed. We can still be friends of course, right?"  
  
"Sure Cho. Friends till the end."  
  
But in his mind, Harry thought... That saying's going around too much. Friends? With her? Oh well...  



	3. Hermione's Dance (Parts One and Two)

Chapter Three: Hermione's Dance (Part One)  
  
"Did you hear?" Lavender Brown cried as she jumped onto Hermione's four poster bed covered in little frills.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked nonchalantly.  
  
Lavender made her self comfortable on Hermione's neat, pressed, and pink bed.  
  
"Well... Cho and Harry have actually broke up, can you believe it?"  
  
"Great," Hermione muttered indifferently.  
  
"Don't you care?" Lavender screeched.  
  
"Why would I?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, that means me or you have got a chance at the hottie!"  
  
"Hottie? What's a hottie?"  
  
"It's a word my half-cousin taught me. She lives in America and doesn't know any magic at all!"  
  
"Sure, whatever."  
  
"Well, I've got to go. Oh, by the way, we're having a dance at Hogwarts this Friday. It's in five days. I think I'm going to find Neville. He's lost some weight, don't you think? Besides, I've heard that he wants to ask me. I can't wait. Well, I've got to go. See you!"   
  
Lavender screamed before exiting their dorm. Hermione layed down on her bed. She heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Come in," she mumbled facing up towards the ceiling that insisted on changing colors often. Another magic part of her life.   
  
What happened if she was really Muggle? Well, never had any of this weird magical qualities. She would never meet Paravti, Lavender, silly Neville, Ron, or Harry. Wouldn't that be just extremely hilarious? Hermione was thinking to herself again. Ron walked in.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Ron, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I know I'm not supposed to be in the girl's dorm, but I just heard that Cho and Harry broke up," Ron explained.  
  
"So, what's your point? I've already heard it from Lavender."  
  
"Speaking if which, I hear Neville is completely crazy about Lavender. I think Lavender likes Harry. Everyone likes Harry."  
  
"Well, I don't."  
  
"Yep, you like me."  
  
"Ron, get real!"  
  
"Well, I like you, I think."  
  
"Actually I need to talk to you," Ron added.  
  
"About what? You're undying love for me?"  
  
"Don't be cross. I don't really like you. I've got my eyes on Parvati Patil. She's got the greatest eyes, don't you think?"  
  
"How would I know Ron?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.  
  
"Good point. You only look at Harry's eyes, and his scar..." Ron trailed off.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Harry told me something, he'll kill me if he knows I tell you."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"He's loved you ever since our first year. He felt so sick to his stomach when you turned into a cat, and he was jealous a bit in our second year when you were obsessed with Gilderoy Lockhart, that git," Ron said quickly.  
  
"What type of joke are you trying to pull Ron?" Hermione asked leaning closer to him.  
  
"No joke. Harry's dead gone on you. He likes you, that's for sure. We're not kids anymore. You won't get his cooties. I know you like him. The best thing to do is tell him you like him. Would you ever do that?"  
  
"Well, I don't know," Hermione said. She let Ron put his arms around her in an ever-so-friendly way.  
  
"Well, ya'll need to decide what you will do, because I'm not supposed to tell you. I just figured you really had to know. I need to find Parvati. Do you know where she is?" Ron asked.  
  
"No, stay a bit longer, she'll show up," Hermione replied.  
  
Harry actually likes me!!! I can't believe this. Is it for real? Am I dreaming? How long have I waited for this moment? How much have I dreamed and wished to hear that Harry actually liked me?  
  
Harry was looking depressed. He was trying to stay away from Cho. He couldn't believe that he was once crazy about the girl, doing anything to be around her, and now avoiding her to all costs. In a few days she'll be okay, and I can be her friend again, maybe... Then a thought struck Harry.  
  
Since me and Cho aren't dating anymore, I suppose I could possibly go into, sneak into, the girl's dorms and ask Hermione to go to the dance with me. I'll tell her it's just as friends. She doesn't even think I like her, and Ron would never tell her.   
  
Well, he would, but only at the right time. Harry walked into the peaceful girl's dorm quietly. She saw Ron playing with a strand of Hermione's hair and looking serene.  
  
Ron, that traitor!!! He was supposed to be my best friend, and he knows that I like Hermione. What am I going to do? This is not fair, not fair at all!!! I thought that he would be working things out for us, eventually at least. Well, I'll go talk to Paravti now. We'll see how Ron feels about that.  
  
Ron looked behind him and saw Harry angrily slip off to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
Oh, no! What am I going to do? He thought. I can't tell Harry anything, or Hermione. I have to make something up to tell Harry. What am I going to do? GREAT WIZARDS!  
  
"Hey Hermione. I'm going to look for Parvati now. I'll see you later," Ron said. He walked off.  
  
"Bye Ron," Hermione replied softly.  
  
  
Part Two:  
  
  
Ron saw Harry holding Parvati in his strong arms. They were giggling and talking. Well, he doesn't have to get all mad. I don't know what his problem is. Then again, he probably had no idea why I jumped on Hermione.  
  
"Hey Harry. I need to talk to you for a bit," Ron said.  
  
"Well, I'm a bit busy with Parvati here."  
  
"I need to talk now."  
  
"Okay, okay," Harry muttered.  
  
He jumped up and they entered the boy's dorms.  
  
"What's going on Ron? You weren't supposed to be all over Hermione. I'm supposed to do that!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous Harry! You know I like Parvati."  
  
"Then why were you all over Hermione?" Harry asked annoyed.  
  
"She was upset because you were dating Cho. She didn't know you stopped, so she was surprised when I told her, that's all," Ron explained. It was a half-truth, so he hoped it would work.  
  
"Okay, well I'll go to Hermione and talk to her later."  
  
"You do that. I'm asking Parvati to the dance," Ron replied.  
  
"Bye Ron."  
  
"Bye Harry."  
  
"So you'll never guess what happened!" Cho exclaimed.  
  
"I've already heard. You and Harry broke up! How come?" Lydia asked.  
  
"I really think Dean Thomas is cute, so I figured I'd ask him to the dance. Harry can wait."  
  
"Well, okay, that's cool. I think I'm going to ask Justin Flinch-Fletchley."  
  
"That dumbo?" Cho asked stifling a giggle.  
  
"He's pretty cool. Anyway, I think someone else is taking Seamus Finningan," Lydia explained.  
  
"Okay. Well, I've got to go ask Dean Thomas," Cho told Lydia.  
  
"Bye then."  
  
"See you!"  
  
Hermione was reading the Warlock Conventions of the Fifteenth Century by the fireplace one evening. It was a calm Wednesday. All the first years were playing Wizard Chess. They were holding some tournament.  
  
Hermione gave a loud sigh. No one had asked her to the dance yet. She saw Harry coming towards her.  
  
Now he's going to ask me to the dance. I can't wait.  
  
"Hey Hermione," Harry said.  
  
"Hey Harry. What's up?" Hermione asked.   
  
Just don't bring up the topic of the dance. He'll think you're desperate.  
  
"Oh, nothing, nothing," Harry replied. Just don't bring up the topic of the dance. She'll think you like her.  
  
"Do you want to sit?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Okay," Harry said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Have you been asked to the dance yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I really don't want to go though."  
  
"Neither do I," Harry said attempting to laugh.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Do you want to go as friends or something? I feel like making Cho mad," Harry said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Harry got up and left.  
  
As friends? What a coward! Can't he just admit that he likes me? I can't believe he didn't say anything. Well, I didn't say anything either, so I supposed it's okay.  
  
  
  
  
  
It was Friday night and Hermione was getting ready for Hogwarts' first dance. Everyone was dressing up really fancy, ever since Dumbledore decided to call it a Ball. It was the Fall Ball. Sort of like a welcoming Ball to school. Nevertheless, Hermione pulled out her favorite dress that she saved for special occasions. It was a green spaghetti strap top with a matching silk skirt and sandals of the equally pale green color. She pulled her hair up into a bun and attached a green ribbon to it. I don't think I'm too fancy. After all, this is an important Hogwarts event, and I should be dressed up. Maybe I'll take along my green shawl, or my scarlet cloak. We'll see how chilly it is. After all the Great Hall is often changing room temperatures.  
  
Hermione wrapped her the shawl around her body and walked out to the common room. She was wearing pearly green earrings, light green eye-shadow, clear mascara, some powder, and clear lip-gloss. The first years looked at the sophisticated seventeen year-old and ooohed. Some aaahed.  
  
She stepped down the stairs and saw Harry in a pressed tux. Harry grinned and flattened his always messy hair.  
  
"Ready to go?" Harry asked.  
  
"You bet!" she exclaimed.  
  
Ron and Parvati joined them on the short walk. Ron was wearing a tux equal to Harry's and Parvati was wearing a pale blue tube top dress that was poofy at the bottom and blue flat sandals.  
  
They stopped at the entrance where Dumbledore was wearing an enormous velvet cloak and a frail wizard hat.  
  
"Welcome, welcome!" he cried ushering to the door.  
  
They entered gazing around. The Great Hall was wall-papered a midnight blue with swirling silvery designs. There were silver stars moving around, and at the tip top over the crystal chandelier, was a golden moon.   
  
All the teachers were sitting in their regular positions at the Teacher's table in the North balcony. Evening was rising now, the sun was setting.  
  
Hermione walked to the center of the Great Hall and looked up to the crystal chandelier, past it and at the golden Moon shining so bright, brighter than any silver design. Hermione herself, was standing brighter than any Cho Chang, or Lavender Brown.  
  
"Hey you guys. I think I forgot something. Now I know, I forgot the flowers I got for Lavender. They're back in common room, what will I do?" Neville Longbottom cried to Harry and Hermione.  
  
"It's okay Neville. Give them to Lavender when we head back," Hermoine suggested.  
  
"Okay, thanks Hermione."  
  
"No problem."  
  
"You're such a life saver Hermione," Harry joked.  
  
"Funny," Hermione retorted.  
  
"What is Seamus doing with my sister?" Ron cried.  
  
"What are you talking about? They're only dancing," Harry replied.  
  
"Yeah, come on Ron. Your sister is sixteen years-old, and she's a sixth year. It's okay," Hermione insisted.  
  
"No way! Seamus may be my friend, but he's way too old for my sister!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"One year is not that big of a difference. Don't you think you are being a bit over-protective?" Harry asked.  
  
"Hardly!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Let's go dance Ron," Parvati cut in, sort of like a peace maker.  
  
"Look at them. They look so cute," Hermione said giggling.  
  
"Yep," Harry replied.  
  
Honestly Harry, you are the most blind person when it comes to love and life, this is where you're supposed to ask me to dance!  
  
"Do you want to dance?" Harry asked.  
  
"Okay, I guess," Hermione replied hardly keeping content.  
  
"Let's go," Harry said.  
  
They walked up to the dance platform. Hermione imagined to herself that she was in the center of the stage with Harry. I'm dancing as light as a feather. We're back in the Muggle World, and it's a big prom. I'm the Prom Queen, and I'm dancing with Harry, life couldn't be anymore perfect. In the background a slow song was put on. Hermione listened as the speakers softly played 'Dear Diary' by Britney Spears.  
  
Harry put his arms around Hermione's hips. Hermione put her arms around Harry's neck, reaching up. Luckily she had her platform shoes with her, the pale green ones with a wood-like base.  
  
Then the song ended.  
  
"Do you want to get some Iced Pumpkin Juice?" Harry offered.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Okay, you sit down and I'll get us some."  
  
Hermione walked over to the Gryffindor table that had dazzling lights shining over it and a velvety scarlet table-cloth. Harry returned with two cups of Iced Pumpkin Juice.  
  
"So, what do you want to do?" Harry asked.  
  
"Sit and watch those two love birds dance," Hermione replied.  
  
"Oh, you mean Ron and Parvati, don't you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"They do make a cute couple."  
  
"I agree."  
  
"Were you happy about me and Cho breaking up?"  
  
"I didn't mind. You should do what you want."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Not that I don't care about you. You're a good friend."  
  
"That's all."  
  
"Sure, if you want it to be."  
  
"That's what I want," Harry replied.  
  
A large gap of silence over came them.  
  
Suddenly Hermione spoke.  
  
"I'm tired."  
  
"I'll walk you back to Gryffindor Common room. I wanted to go to bed too," Harry said.  
  
"Okay, thanks."  
  
Hermione grabbed her shawl and they walked back to their dorms in complete silence.  
  
They entered the common room and Hermione walked into the girl's dorms. Harry followed.  
  
"I can go to bed by myself," Hermione said nervously.  
  
"I feel weird."  
  
"How?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't know. Do you ever wonder about the Dark Lord coming back?" Harry pondered.  
  
"Once a week possibly," Hermione replied. "Why?"  
  
"A reason. But I can't tell you now," Harry said.  
  
"You really need to be this evasive?" Hermione cried.  
  
"For now."  
  
"Okay. I accept your privacy," Hermione replied.  
  
"Goodnight Hermione," Harry said.  
  
Hermione sat down on her bed.  
  
Harry knelt down and took Hermione's face into his palms and kissed her forehead. He walked out of the room without another word.  
  



	4. Hermione and Cassandra

Chapter Four: Hermione and Cassandra  
  
Hermione slept the night away. She touched her temple often, as a reminder of where Harry had last kissed her.  
  
Then again, he probably kisses any girl he flirts with.  
  
It was now morning and Hermione realized it was also Saturday. She wanted to use the Maurader's Map and sneak into Hogsmeade, buy some of the flavored floss for her parents, get some chocolate frogs for Ron and Harry, and do some fun stuff! Go WILD!!!  
  
"Hermione, you fell asleep with your make-up on. How come?" Lavender asked.  
  
"I was tired. Is my mascara in globs now?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Not quite. I had the most wonderful night with Ron," Parvati confided dreamily.  
  
"You guys look cute together, that's for sure," Lavender commented.  
  
"Thanks. So, how was Neville Longbottom?" Parvati asked.  
  
"Pretty awesome. He's soooo cute when he's forgetful. Hehe, almost always, huh?" Lavender replied.  
  
"Not almost always. Just plain always," Hermione told them grinning.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do today?" Lavender asked.  
  
Forget Hogsmeade. I'll do something with the girls today.  
  
"Why don't we all hangout? I can give us really cute make-overs and we can go show them off around school. I want to go talk to Professor McGonagall," Hermione suggested.  
  
"Honestly, why are you so close to her?" Parvati questioned.  
  
"I don't know, she's a really nice person, once you get to know her," Hermione insisted.  
  
"Nice teacher? Doesn't seem like it, if you see how much homework she gives us," Lavender retorted.  
  
"I do see how much homework she gives us, and I finish it quickly without any trouble," Hermione replied.  
  
"That's because you're Hermione, and we're NOT!" Parvati said hiding giggles.  
  
"Don't be silly," Hermione snapped.  
  
"Okay, okay. So how about those make-overs? I want to look dazzling for Ron."  
  
"Yes your highness, but first you have to go pick out an out-fit to wear, so I can decide how to dress you up, make-up wise."  
  
"What about me?" Lavender asked.  
  
"You just sit tight, it'll take me a while to finish Parvati, but in the meantime you can go pick something out to wear today."  
  
"Okay, be back in a flash."  
  
Hermione could have taken a short nap in the time it took for both of them to pick clothes out.  
  
"It's about time!" she snapped.  
  
"Well, SORRY, but if you were going to go through all the trouble to make me look good, I wanted to put some thought into finding a good thing to wear," Parvati replied when she walked out.  
  
"Okay, okay, so what did you decided on?" Hermione asked.  
  
"THIS!" Parvati exclaimed as she placed the clothes on her bed near her dresser.  
  
'THIS' was a very pretty ruffled greenish-kakhii tube-top, with a plain kakhii mini-skirt and a pair of sandals that looked similar to Hermione's green ones, except they were a black canvas top.  
  
"Sit!" Hermione commanded, motioning to the dresser.  
  
Parvati took her seat.  
  
Hermione worked efficiently and well. She artfully applied tan eye-shadow, light blush, pale foundation, clear mascara, a light brown lip-stick, and let Parvati borrow a pair of dark green earrings.  
  
"It looks awesome. Thanks Hermione!" Parvati said.  
  
"I'm not done yet," Hermione replied giggling.  
  
Hermione lifted some of Parvati's hair and twisted it into a cute bun. Then she let the other part of her hair be let loose.  
  
"Thanks Hermione!" Parvati squealed.  
  
"No problem. It's your turn Lavender," Hermione replied.  
  
"Goody!" Lavender exclaimed.  
  
"What did you bring?" Hermione asked her.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I have a tube-top mini-dress."  
  
"Trying to look flashy, aren't we?" Hermione pointed out to BOTH of them.  
  
"Well, tube-tops can be appealing at times, and you know..."  
  
"Right, right. Okay, well your dress is wintergreen, so we'll use green based colors on you. Wear my light green earrings from last night. And I'll put some green eye shadow on you – now – let's see. Some tan powder – there – and you need a light pink lipstick – there!"  
  
"You look so cute!" Parvati told Lavender.  
  
"What about you Hermione?" Lavender asked after surveying herself many times beside the mirror. Her hair looked elegant in curls let loose hanging at her shoulders.  
  
"Well, you can decided that for me. I want to wear my light blue three-quarter sleeve shirt and my black silk three-quarter skirt. And I'll make sure my hair gets clipped back. There is no way it's going to be falling all over my face like last week while we were trying to get the Boggarts to jump into the cauldron in Defense Against Dark Arts Class."  
  
"Okay. Parvati, go and get your blue pearl necklace. That'll look cute, and I've got some light blue hair clips to put your hair up with. Ya' know, out of your face, and all. Okay, that looks good – now! Okay, I'm going to use some pale powder, and light blusher – Um – light blue eye shadow – and you need some black mascara. You look really cute Hermione."  
  
"Thanks Lavender. Now let's go to the fields where everyone else is, and show-off our beautiful faces," Hermione said.  
  
They shoved all their make-up across their dressers, and headed off for the Fat Lady's portrait. Before they could even stick one leg into the hole, Professor McGonagall walked in.  
  
"Hey Professor McGonagall. We were about to go talk to you – in a bit and stuff," Parvati said with a welcoming grin.  
  
"And I come here to find you. There is something I need to say to the three of you girls, infact, you are three of the sweetest girls in Gryffindor, and after that other seventh year got Leukimia and – well you know – we were short one seventh year Gryffindor girl. Great news -." Lavender interrupted McGonagall.  
  
"Who's that?" she asked timidly pointing to a girl behind Professor McGonagall.  
  
"That's our great news. We obviously needed a fill-in for the girl that left us, and a Witchcraft and Wizardry school in the Americas let this child come. Please meet Cassandra Nicole Taylor," Professor McGonagall presented.  
  
"Hi you guys! Well, I just came here – you already know that, hehe. My full name is Cassandra Nicole Taylor, but you can call me Cassandra or Cassie. Whichever you prefer," the pixie like creature said grinning a big grin. She had tresses of curly black hair pulled up into a high ponytail, and one or two strands let loose in to curly little hairs flying in front of her face. Her complexion was smooth, and she stood at 5 foot, 5 inches. The first impression of her was over friendly. According to Hermione anyways.  
  
Well, I can still be friends with her, maybe, since McGonagall will want me to be, Hermione thought.  
  
"Hi," the three girls said cheerfully.  
  
"Yes, well, I was wondering if you could get Cassandra Nicole introduced to everyone and shown around the school. I would be extremely appreciative of that," the Professor mumbled along.  
  
"Sure! Hi Cassandra. My name is Lavender. We'll show you around, no problem about that," Lavender replied enthusiastically.  
  
"Thank you girls," Professor McGonagall said.  
  
"Are you feeling okay Professor? You don't look very good," Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure I am fine. It's just the long days of work. And preparing your Semester's Finals," Professor McGonagall tried to say with a laugh.  
  
But it was true. The professor's face had worried lines across in, and her throat seemed scratchy, not it's usual sharp cutting tone.  
  
"Okay," Hermione replied, still unsure of what could possibly be happening to her beloved Transfiguration teacher.  
  
"Well, I must take leave now. I've been notified that some Slytherin boys have been playing with mud in the corridors. I must fly at once!" McGonagall said. Then she left.  
  
"So, what would you like to do first Cassandra?" Parvati asked.  
  
"Well... You see... When I was coming here, a lot of my school mates told me that the actual Harry Potter went to this school. So, I'm like all 'No way!', and they were telling me that I should get his autograph, and I was like telling them to hush up, because ya' know, he probably doesn't like to be hassled. I sure would, but he's been through a lot and stuff. Well, could we meet him, if he really does come here? I just think he's the hottest thing in the world!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Hottest? Like stove oven, hot?" Hermione asked.  
  
"It's a term. Ya' know? Hottie? It means, really really really cute! Which is definetly what Harry is. I mean, if I went to school with Harry Potter – well - that would just be WAY too amazing. So, who else is cute around here? Back at my old school, there were a million and one cute guys. Never mind. I don't want you adorable chickas to think I'm some sort of guy crazy drab, so I'll just be getting along without dreaming about little Lightning Scar headed guy. What a cute nick-name! That is completely adorable. What's your names? I know Lavender's, but I don't believe I've been properly introuduced to you guys!" Cassandra said.  
  
"I'm Parvati." "And I'm Hermione," they both said, a little bit bewildered by Cassandra's energetic presence.  
  
"That is so awesome. Are you guys ALWAYS so pretty? I mean, I wear make-up and do the dress-up thing on formal occasions, but I never knew it was like a law or something here on just plain old normal days. Well, that is completely cool. I just want to get the hang of things. Oh, I do hope we can become awesome friends and stuff."  
  
"Well, Hermione just had an idea to dress-up for today and show our 'do's to the world. Parvati and myself did some touch-ups to Hermione, although she never needs it. She is absolutely beautiful!" Lavender said.  
  
"I know! You are absolutely GORGEOUS!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Thank you, but I'm not really all that pretty," Hermione replied, a bit shy.  
  
"Sure you are. I would die not to have my blotchy face covered in pimples," Parvati insited.  
  
"So, what about showing me around? Let's go. Let's go meet Harry," Cassandra said.  
  
"Okay, let me get my shoes," Hermione said grabbing a pair of black leather heeled sandals.  
  
They walked to the fields where Harry and Ron were sitting with Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and sweet old Neville Longbottom.  
  
"For real? It actually is the one and only Harry Potter. Nice to meet you. My name is Cassandra Nicole Taylor, but you can call me Cassandra or just plain Cassie. Well, I know everyone except for these four cute guys right in front of me. What are your names?" Cassandra said offering an enormous smile.  
  
They all answered politely with awe surrounding their voices.  
  
"So, what are we going to do today? Blow up a toilet? Toilet paper the whole school? Just kidding Hermione – I'm not that wild. You've got a look in your eyes dear, are you okay?" Cassie asked.  
  
"I'm fine. Just mildly bewildered," Hermione replied hotly.  
  
"I was just checking. We want everyone to be happy at Hogwarts. Isn't this like the best school in the world for Witchcraft and Wizardry? I always wanted to come here, and now I am here. This is totally unbelievable. But anyway, what do you guys want to do today?" Cassandra asked yet again.  
  
"Well, we could do something later. Right now I'm going to go find the guys on our Quidditch team to sort out game plays for the game against Slytherin in a few days," Harry said.  
  
He was the Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as well as an excellent Team Captain. He filled Oliver Wood's post rather well, everyone thought so, anyway.  
  
"Okay, that's fine. We'll do something later. Hey! Who is that cute guy with the blond hair?" Cassandra asked in an eager tone. She lost her balance while walking a pole and tumbled down. She brushed her pants and let Parvati talk to her.  
  
"I don't see any cute blond guys here Cassandra," Parvati said.  
  
"Over there, next to those two fat guys," Cassandra urged.  
  
"You can't be thinking about Draco Malfoy," Hermione begged.  
  
"What about Draco Malfoy?" Ron asked.  
  
"Draco, what a funny name! Is that who he is?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"What about Draco Malfoy? I don't get it, why would you guys be talking about him?" Ron asked quizically.  
  
"Because that's who Cassandra has a crush on now," Lavender replied grimly.  
  
"Cassandra – you like Draco? No way! He's a mean, nasty, rude, idiotic – no way!" Harry spat out.  
  
"I think he's pretty cute. And he's coming over here too. Let's talk to him," Cassandra said eagerly.  
  
"No thanks," Hermione snapped back.  
  
Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle walked over to the popular Seventh Year group, where surprisingly, Cho was not around. They saw the new blond and were curious to find out who it was.  
  
"Who are you? Not any Muggle dirt, I hope. Get off Hogwarts property," Draco said at once, silencing the group of their laughter.  
  
"I just got exchanged from my old school. Nice to meet you too," Cassandra replied mishceviously.  
  
"I didn't say my greetings. You probably got the bum house, Gryffindor. Where they feel sorry for people is what the Gryffindor house is really all about. Look at Harry. He doesn't have any parents. Look at Neville. He doesn't have any brains. Look at Hermione. She doesn't have any blood in her. Not any good blood anyway," Malfoy muttered.  
  
Ron raised his wand.  
  
"You're lucky Snape is around, or you'd be flat on the ground. Stop insulting the Gryffindors. Everyone knows that all Slytherin people are wackos. Salaazar Slytherin himself, was insane. You won't forget – I'm sure – that it was he who created the Chamber of Secrets and put a Basilik into it, hoping it would go unnoticed. And You – Know – Who wasn't from Gryffindor. He was from Slytherin," Ron replied angrily.  
  
"That's why he was so amazing, great, unbelievable, and my dearly own – role model. Next to my dad, of course," Draco said giggling.  
  
"How can you laugh about these things Draco? They aren't very funny," Hermione spat at him.  
  
"What's wrong with my dad?" Draco challenged Hermione.  
  
"He's a creep, just like you," Ron cut in with dagger eyes.  
  
"Draco, what a funny name," Cassandra said again, this time where Draco could clearly hear.  
  
"What gives you the right to say that? What's your name?" Draco asked.  
  
"Cassandra Nicole Taylor, but you can call me Cassandra," she said taking her hand from her side to let Draco shake it.  
  
Draco ignored it and went on talking.  
  
"Cassandra's a dumb name."  
  
"Thanks. I think," Cassandra replied laughing.  
  
"Not that funny. I'll see you in class – if you're any good at all – watch your back Taylor," Draco muttered as he walked off with Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"I prefer Cassandra or Cassie, not Taylor," Cassandra hollered back sweetly.  
  
Everyone started laughing. Hermione couldn't help it. She laughed too.  
  
"Hey Hermione. Do you want to go to Hogsmeade some time?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, not now. Maybe later. I'm supposed to be showing Cassandra around. You probably wouldn't want to come along. Stay here. Spend time with your friends, and do stuff. I don't mind. You can just pretend that I don't exist, and – la de dah – you can ignore me now. I don't know what I'm saying."  
  
"Are you okay Hermione?" Ron asked.  
  
"I'm perfectly fine Ron," Hermione said.  
  
Hermione took Cassandra's arm and walked off before Ron could collapse into a fit of giggles.  



	5. Cassandra's Mistake

Chapter Five : Cassandra's Mistake  
  
"I love Quidditch, don't you?" Cassie said to Harry on Sunday.  
  
"You bet! It's awesome. I didn't know you played. What position are you?" Harry asked with great enthusiasm.  
  
"I'm a Keeper. Maybe we can play some."  
  
"I'd love to! We need a new keeper, we've never really had a really good one, ever since Oliver Wood left, and that was ages ago, before I became Team Captain."  
  
"Well, we can go out on the field now and play some."  
  
"That's an awesome idea, let's go!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
Harry and Cassandra ran out to the open air on the Quidditch field and played for an hour. They came back into the Gryffindor common room and saw Hermione reading about the Warlock conventions, and Ron and Ginny were playing Wizard Chess.  
  
"Hiya!" Harry called, more to Ginny and Ron than Hermione, who was acting peculiar after finding out that Harry had been gone all this time with Cassandra.  
  
Harry spoke again.  
  
"You won't believe it. Cassandra was a Keeper at her old school, and now she will play for us. She's awesome, and can definitely hold the goal post well. Now we'll beat Slytherin for sure!" Harry exclaimed with a bright grin on his face.  
  
"Well, I did play a bit at my old school, starting my second year. It's a pity they don't let first years play. I know you played though Harry. You must have been really good, weren't you?" Cassi asked.  
  
"Just a bit," Harry replied modestly.  
  
Cassi swung her arm around Harry's neck and said, "Gryffindor will win for sure!"  
  
"Have you guys completed the Potions homework?" Hermione asked annoyingly to Harry and Ron.  
  
"I have," Harry replied.  
  
"The Potions homework? Oh no! I completely forgot about it. Hermione, could you lend me the answers, just this once?" Ron begged on his knees.  
  
Hermione closed her book and looked perplexed towards Ron.  
  
"Ron, how will you ever learn if you continue to do this?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Skip the lecture. Just give me the answers. What poisonous flower do you use to make a Weightless Potion?"  
  
On Monday morning the Gryffindor and Slytherin seventh year students went to Potions together. It was Cassandra's very first class at Hogwarts. Cassandra and Hermione grabbed two seats pretty much near the middle and opened their spirals up and began to take notes of the chalkboard.   
  
Snape hadn't entered yet, but he had written all the uses of Mandrakes down on the board. Underneath that – in his messy scrawl – he had written the names of many different herbs and their definitions.  
  
Hermione and Cassandra had both finished copying it all into their spirals.   
  
Cassandra used her bubbly and cute (The i's were dotted with little hearts when she remembered.) handwriting while Hermione used her neatly and evenly spaced block letters. Draco finished his work too, and Snape had still not arrived.  
  
"Hey Taylor, or is it Candice?" Draco asked snickering.  
  
"It's Cassandra Nicole Taylor, and it'd be best if you called be Cassandra or Cassi."  
  
"Sure, whatever. Snape's here, better watch your back now," Draco snapped.  
  
Cassandra rolled her pretty eyes at him before turning around and facing Snape's foul face.  
  
"Who are you?" Snape barked looking directly at her.  
  
"I'm Cassandra Nicole Taylor," Cassandra said performing the normal routine of telling her the preferable names to call her.  
  
"Yes, yes. You're another brat that I get to teach. Let's see if you're as big a dunderbell as these other students I have to teach," Snape muttered as he shuffled through papers on his desk.  
  
"What? I'm not a brat or a dunderbell. You have no right to call me that, you great big jerk!" Cassandra shouted at Snape.  
  
"Excuse me, what did you just call me?"  
  
"You heard me, a jerk!"  
  
"Class, remain seated. If I hear one word from any of you, and believe me, I can always tell if you speak – then you shall be severely punished. You – Cassandra. Come with me at once to the Headmaster's office. We will have a little talk immediately. I feel the need for you to brush up on your manners. I can see very clearly that you don't have any, and there is nothing in your head that is labeled common sense. You do not speak to Professor Severus Snape in that unorderly fashion, do you hear me? Up, get out of that seat!"  
  
  
  
  
  
Cassandra didn't say anything. Her face turned bright red, but she marched out of the room and walked the long silent walk with Professor Severus Snape all the way to Professor Dumbledore's office.  
  
They walked into Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore let them make themselves comfortable in nice cushioned chairs. They discussed the matter thoroughly for many minutes behind closed doors. Finally Snape left the room so Dumbledore could talk to Cassandra alone. Many more minutes passed by behind closed doors. All the seventh year students in the classroom were worried about what happened to the new spirited chicka from the Americas.  
  
Finally the curiosity got the better of Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati. They ran up to Dumbledore's room with Hermione's sense of direction. She had only been in there once in her fifth year, but she managed to guide the other two girls to it.   
  
They knocked the door twice and Dumbledore opened it with twinkling eyes through half-moon spectacles.  
  
"What happened? Is Cassandra okay? We should have warned her about Snape. She can be a bit open-minded. Don't punish her!" Hermione squealed.  
  
"Nothings going to happen. I've got to take my lunch now so Cassandra will tell you what happened," Dumbledore replied.   
  
Then he slipped into his quarters and Cassandra walked out with the other three girls.  
  
"What happened?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Snape blew off, that weirdo. Dumbledore said that Snape'll will apologize to me, and then I can apologize to him."  
  
"That's all?" Parvati asked in amazement.  
  
"That's all. I don't know what the big deal was anyway."  
  
"Advice from the friendly, Cassandra. Don't ever say anything about Snape, unless it's behind his back. He can get awfully nasty," Hermione said.  
  
"I can handle it. So, what do you want to do now?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"We have to eat lunch and then go to Transfiguration and Herbology. Come on, come on," Hermione said impatiently.  
  
"Oh, I've got the rest of the day off. I forget you didn't. I'll eat lunch with you and then take it easy back in common room. I'll do a makeover like you guys did and stuff. I'll have loads of fun!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"No fair! You do something bad, but you get rewarded instead of punished," Lavender squealed.  
  
"Well, they said it would help me cool down, so I'll be cooling down under cucumber eyes and a mud face," Cassandra replied giggling.  
  
"You are so lucky Cassi. It isn't fair!" Parvati exclaimed.  
  
"I don't think so. I don't want to get behind on my studies," Hermione admitted.  
  
"You never would Hermione. That should be the least of your worries honey," Lavender told her.  
  
"Well, let's go eat lunch. Come with us Cassi. We need to get some grub. I'm starved," Parvati said.  
  
"As usual," Lavender remarked.  
  
"My figure is pretty good, I think," Parvati defended herself.  
  
"Better than good!" Cassi said.  
  
They gossiped all the while to the Great Hall where they ate hearty lunches and reviewed commands for Transfiguration.  
  
The sun was beating down on any one standing outside as it approached noon. They gathered bags and purses and left for the Transfiguration chambers.  
  
"I'll see you guys later, okay?" Cassi said to them cheerfully and skipped back to Gryffindor common room in a hurry.  
  
"That girl is absolutely insane," Hermione commented.  
  
"Don't lie. She's growing on all of us, even you Hermione," Lavender said.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and opened the chamber door. She haughtily walked in and Lavender and Parvati followed her grinning.  
  
Class went by boringly, yet efficiently. The Gryffindor students got to have Transfiguration all alone, and it was a moderately quiet afternoon lesson with Professor McGonagall. After Professor McGonagall had reviewed commands with them, they performed transfigurations.  
  
There were three of them. First was the extremely simple transfiguration of turning a matchbox into a snuffbox. Then they were allowed to turn a beetle into a button, and then transfigurate the button back to a beetle. The first two were both reviews, but the third one was a bit more complicated. They had to turn a wooden piccolo into a small music box that played the tune, 'Happy Birthday'.  
  
Ron performed everything perfectly, until he got to the music box which he accidentally gave the tune to the old Hogwarts song, and it was being sung to the 'Funeral March'.  
  
"That was easy," Hermione said delicately to Harry as he turned the piccolo into half of a music box.  
  
"Easy for you, but not for me. I wish we had Defense class today," Harry said grumbling.  
  
"Harry, you know that block classes are on Tuesdays for Advanced Defense Against Dark Arts. It's just one more day, keep your hat on, Great Wizards. You know, there are classes more important than Defense class," Hermione replied.  
  
"Yeah, Quidditch, only kidding," Harry added as he saw Hermione's face turn into a frown. She smiled again.  
  
"Very funny Harry Houdini," she said ruffling his messy hair.  
  
"I'm Harry Potter, the wizard, not Harry Houdini, the magician," he replied laughing.  
  
"I'll trust you on that one, but I've never really hear of Harry Potter, only kidding," Hermione said, this time watching Harry's face look quizzical.  
  
They walked out of Transfiguration together and went to Herbology with Professor Sprouts and the Hufflepuff seventh-years.  
  
It was all the usual, digging your fingers into dirt and getting them all dirty. Harry was actually happy that they got to go back to dorms because he was dying to get under a cool shower. They left Greenhouse three and took long and cold showers.  
  
When Hermione came out of the shower she had slipped on a white spaghetti strap and some blue-jean shorts. Her hair was let loose and she had light make up on. It was the first time that she had notice Cassi on the bed with cucumbers over her eyes.  
  
"Cassi! I completely forgot about you. How did you make out? Weren't you bored to death?" Hermione asked in her rapid-fire English.  
  
Cassi took the cucumbers off her eyes and threw them in the trash. She stood up and walked towards Hermione.  
  
"Boy did I have a fun time. I took a long shower, then I brushed my hair for ages on, scrubbed my face with lemon juice, and I just took off the cucumbers. My skin will be perfect soon. I also did something else, make sure no one else is in here," Cassi added.  
  
"Okay, the door's closed, tell me," Hermione begged.  
  
"I made a love potion."  
  
"No way!"  
  
"Yes way! I mean, Potions has always been my worst subject, but I think I pulled this off."  
  
"Who are you trying to get to like you? Probably Harry."  
  
"No way Hermione. He's nice, and cute, and stuff, but I know you're gaga over him. It's only so obvious. I think he likes you too."  
  
"Don't act crazy Cassi. He'll never like me. Don't change the subject. So who's the guy?"  
  
"Draco Malfoy!"  
  
"Eww! Draco Malfoy? But why?"  
  
"I don't know. I think it will be funny."  
  
"You are the most crazy person I have ever met Cassandra Nicole. Let's go to common room and distract your mind from your silly ideas!"  
  
They both collapsed into a fit of giggles.  
  
  
  



	6. Hermione's Love Disaster

Chapter Six: Hermione's Love Disaster  
  
It was the middle of the night and everyone had fallen asleep. Hermione's eyes strayed in the darkness. She was still wide awake, constantly thinking about the love potion Cassi had made. If only she took the potion instead of Cassandra. Then Harry would be lovingly looking at her and holding her, and kissing her again.  
  
All at once Hermione didn't know what she was doing. She got out of her bed and spread her hands around Cassandra's dresser in the darkness, attempting to find the love potion.  
  
"Where is it?" Hermione muttered to herself.  
  
Then she placed her long beautiful fingers around the neck of the bottle and opened it quietly. She looked around the room to make sure that no one was awake and spying on her evil deed.  
  
No one.  
  
Then she swallowed a bit. Not being able to help herself, she emptied the entire thing.  
  
Now Harry will love me, for sure, she thought.  
  
Hermione's entire body was shaking and she left the lid off and let the bottle fall to the ground. That way she could say it was the wind who did it, and not her. She shivered and shaked some more as she crawled into her warm bed. A chill ran down her back as she gazed to her clock. It was past three in the morning.  
  
I'll never pass Advanced Defense Against Dark Arts if I stay up this late, she thought.  
  
She turned and tossed for the remainder of the night, managing to sleep for maybe an hour. She was in a deep sleep when Cassandra was looking over her and saying, "Hermione, Hermione, get up. You don't want to be late for Advanced Defense, now do you?"  
  
"What?" Hermoine replied groggily.  
  
Then she jumped up.  
  
"I'm going to be late, oh no!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What were you doing all night? You look like you didn't get much sleep?" Cassandra asked gently.  
  
"I don't know. I didn't sleep until about five in the morning."  
  
"Oh no. Would you look at that? My potion fell and spilled all over the ground. That can't be good. Oh well, Draco will just have to wait one more day to be my love slave. Pity, pity," Cassandra said teasingly.  
  
Hermione shifted nervously, carrying all her weight to one foot.  
  
"You drank it, didn't you?" Cassandra asked, hiding a giggle.  
  
"I didn't mean to take it all. I just wanted a little bit, and then I had the whole of it. I'm really sorry, I don't know what happened," Hermione replied shakily.  
  
"Well, of course you finished the whole of it. Any love potion urges you to take it. One sip, and you'll finish the whole thing."  
  
"What am I going to do?"  
  
"Make the best of it, I guess. That's all you can do, really."  
  
Hermione dressed nicely with greater shivers. She wanted to look good if Harry was going to be under a stupid love potion. What have I gotten myself into?  
  
"Are you ready Hermione?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Yes. Let me get my purse and Defense books and parchment," Hermione replied.  
  
She gathered her books and parchment and dumped it into her back pack. Then she grabbed her cute purse that Cassandra had given her from a store in the Americas called Bath and Body Works. It was in England, but Hermione had stocked up once greatly, and hadn't been back since.  
  
Her face was lightly done, same pale powder, clear mascara, some silvery bronze lipstick from Bath and Body Works, and today she was wearing a three quarter sleeve plain white polo shirt with the buttons going down the front. It was very appealing to her. Then she was wearing a plaid mini-skirt, white knee socks and black leather shoes that looked extremely cute on her.  
  
She approached Cassandra who was wearing long earrings, a mini-dress, thick black mascara, powder, and a frosty blue lip-gloss that made her lips shine silver. She already had her robe on, but it wasn't tied.  
  
"Get your robe, and let's go," Cassandra urged.  
  
Hermione took her robe out of her cedar chest and put it on. Then she followed Cassandra and left the room.  
  
Hermione walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. She grabbed a slice of toast and sat down with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Lavender, Cassandra, and Parvati.  
  
They all greeted each other, but Harry didn't say anything really to Hermione.  
  
Well, he did say, "You look nice today Hermione."  
  
Then Ron said, "Yeah Hermione. You're identity is completely changed. I don't think I've ever seen you in a skirt so short. You look good."  
  
Hermione turned a deep crimson suddenly.  
  
Then Draco came up to their table not paying any attention to Cassandra. His face wasn't in the usual scowl, but he was looking straight at Hermione with his steely gray eyes.  
  
"Hermione," he said. Then nothing else.  
  
Hermione was surprised that he even spoke her name. She thought he only knew how to say, mud-blood and other insults, and had never heard him actually say, "Hermione".  
  
She looked up and then turned down.  
  
"Hermione. You look so beautiful today," Draco said.  
  
This time Hermione really looked up, shocked.  
  
"Leave us alone Draco. We don't go over to the Slytherin table and bug you guys," Harry said angrily.  
  
"We'll let the beautiful Hermione decide if I should stay or leave!" Draco replied angrily.  
  
Then he turned to face Hermione again and turned peaceful.  
  
"Should I darling? Tell me if I should leave this place," he begged gazing up at her from one knee.  
  
"I don't know," Hermione stammered quizzically.  
  
"Leave her alone Draco," Harry said angrily, yet again.  
  
"What do you know Potter? You had so many chances with this young thing, and you never took them. It's your own fault you missed out on something as great as this," Draco insisted.  
  
Harry turned as red as Hermione in an instant and Ron stopped laughing.  
  
"Tell me darling what you want. Should I leave?" Draco asked again.  
  
"It's okay. I'll leave," Hermione said confused. She threw the crusts from her bread into the trash and ran off.  
  
Cassandra quickly caught up with her.  
  
  
  
  
  
"You drank the potion, and you had no idea what was in it! Hermione! I thought you were smarter. The potion is just like the Polyjuice. You have to add a bit of whoever you want to like you into it. In this case, it was bubbling with Draco. So now Draco is in love with you!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"What am I going to do Cassi?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, he'll be like this for the rest of the day. You can't tell anybody about what happened, and you have to be nice to him, otherwise you can both get hurt. Someone under a potion like this, doesn't get it, and if you push him away you can really hurt him emotionally, and he'll start doing crazy things."  
  
"Just great!" Hermione muttered.  
  
She walked off in anger.  
  
Hermione took Cassandra's advice up to Potions again the next day. They were with Slytherin again. Draco was looking into space with his arm around Hermione. There was nothing she could do about it, not a single thing. She didn't want for Draco to get mad and do something crazy.  
  
Harry and Ron kept looking at Hermione.   
  
Most of the time Ron was laughing, but Harry was looking hurt.  
  
Hermione did all she could to restrain herself from pulling away from Draco and running to Harry. But then she remembered how she had felt when Harry and Cho were love birds in Heaven. We all must hurt at times. Harry will live, she thought.  
  
Snape walked into the room looking sullen, as usual.  
  
He was pacing the room throughout the class and spitting out notes at them. Then he notices that Draco wasn't paying much attention.  
  
"DRACO!!! What are you doing?" he bellowed.  
  
"Writing."  
  
"What are you writing?"  
  
"A love poem."  
  
"And I don't suppose you would care to read this love poem to the entire class?" Snape asked sneering.  
  
"Okay," Draco said standing up and clearing his throat.  
  
"Hermione, oh Hermione. You are so unboring. I love looking at you. That is all I can do."  
  
Snickers arose from the Gryffindor side of the classroom.  
  
"Is that what he calls poetry?" Harry whispered to Ron before Snape could catch them.  
  
"Really Mr. Malfoy. I expected that you were better than the rest of this class. Instead, you're a blithering idiot!"  
  
Snape pulled him out of the room and Hermione sunk into her chair as Draco left blowing kisses her way.  
  
"It's probably about the Quidditch game tonight, when we play Slytherin. That's why he's doing this. I can't believe that he would stoop so low!" Harry said angrily.  
  
It was night and Harry was putting on his scarlet and gold Quidditch robes with Cassandra and the rest of the Quidditch team. He saw Draco running up the Gryffindor team quarters.  
  
"What are you doing in here? You're not allowed to be in here!" Harry said angrily.  
  
"Where is Hermione? Where is my love?" Draco asked in horror.  
  
"Not in here. She doesn't play Quidditch you idiot," Harry replied shouting.  
  
"I haven't seen her since Potions. My love has been hidden. You are hiding her from me! How dare you!!!" Draco yelled.  
  
Then Hermione walked through the doors. Her timing was horrible. Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hey guys, I brought you some milk and cookies before the game starts. Let's beat Slytherin today," Hermione said. Then she glanced at Draco. "Uh, oh."  
  
"See! You have been hiding her from me! How dare you!" Draco yelled.  
  
"We have not been hiding her. I didn't even know where she was until now!" Harry replied completely annoyed.  
  
Draco ran to Hermione. He kissed her madly on the lips.  
  
"Well, you're here with me now. Will you watch the game tonight?" Draco asked.  
  
"Well, yes, I supposed I will," Hermione said.  
  
"You will, you must! You must watch me beat the fool-hardy Gryffindor team," Draco said.  
  
"Okay," Hermione replied, unsure of what to say.  
  
"I think I'll go get a good seat now," Hermione said edging to the back of the room. She turned the knob and ran away.  
  
Lee Jordan's brother was doing commentary. His name was Kenneth Jordan, and he was a third year student. The night was dark, but all the spirits were up. Everyone in the crowd was tense and excited.  
  
The game preceded normally.  
  
It was Cassandra's time to shine. She floated in the air patiently when she saw the three Slytherin Chasers coming at her at once. She flew around and blocked the Quaffel from entering.  
  
"Awesome Cassi!" Harry shouted.  
  
Cassandra grinned and flew a bit lower and threw the Quaffel back out to the field and let one of the Gryffindor Chasers pick it up and shoot.  
  
No points had been scored.  
  
Then all at once Harry and Draco both spotted the gold Snitch.  
  
They raced faster than the speed of light. Harry urged his Firebolt to go faster.  
  
The time was running out. It was either for the Slytherin or the Gryffindor. Draco was inching closer. Then Harry was.  
  
And then suddenly....  
  
Harry grabbed the Snitch with his fingers and fell to the ground happily. Hermione jumped up and ran out to the field. She put her arms around Harry. Harry cradeled her.  
  
"Congrautulations Mr. Houdini. How does it feel to beat the Slytherin?" Hermione asked giggling in the darkness.  
  
"I don't know. You'll have to ask Mr. Potter. He's the star, you know," Harry replied in a low voice.  
  
Hermione saw out of the corner of her eye that Draco was sitting on a bench looking depressed.  
  
"I'll be back Harry," she whispered softly and walked to Draco.  
  
"You did awesome Draco. It was so close. Well, why don't you eat the rest of these cookies and go to bed. We'll do something tomorrow."  
  
"Okay," Draco said quietly and then left the stadium.  
  
Hermione thought happily to herself that everything would be back to normal by tomorrow and wouldn't have to do ANYTHING with Draco, though she pitied him for that small moment.  
  
She ran back to Harry and he threw his arms out as she fit into them.  
  
Then the Gryffindor group walked arm in arm all the way back to the Fat Lady's portrait. Hermione felt as light as a feather, and she was in Harry's arms.   



	7. The Potions Exam

Chapter Seven: The Potions Exam  
  
The Quidditch game was now days ago. Gryffindor played Ravenclaw and beat them just barely, yet it was Harry that caught the Snitch right before Cho Chang could spot it amongst the rain (It had been storming the night of the Quidditch game.). So now they had to play Hufflepuff, which all the Gryffindors thought they could easily beat. Now that Cedric Diggory was gone, there was hardly any competition from Hufflepuff.  
  
It was a peaceful Saturday as time was drawing closer to Christmas and everyone was getting excited about who was getting what, and who would get a new Owl or perhaps even a good Wizard chess set.  
  
All the first years would sit around and play Gobstones, like the children they were.  
  
"Remember when we used to be first years?" Hermione asked Harry one day.  
  
"Yeah," Harry replied weakly, laughing.  
  
Although Christmas was coming, there was one bad thing. Exams for the semester's ending were coming up too. Hermione finished the book of Warlock Conventions and insisted that almost every minute of her free time went devoted to studying all the Mood Charms, and memorizing everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Ron would study as much as he could, which was not very much. Then he would run around the fields and count the weekdays till the weekends, when all the seventh-year Gryffindors would travel off to Hogsmeade for the whole of Saturday.  
  
So now it was Saturday. Hermione slipped on a plain light pink tee-shirt and a pink three-quarter skirt. She tied her hair into one quick and doable French Braid. Then she applied light lip gloss, the usual, and secured her cloak tightly.  
  
Cassandra tied her hair back with clips and put on a long black skirt, and a matching woolen black polo sweater/shirt. She had her cloak loose around her neck and flying behind her as she ran to catch the train that would take the group straight to Hogsmeade.  
  
"Hurry up Cassandra," Hermione called as the train gates were closing.  
  
Cassandra flew in and closed the compartment door shut. Then she took of her cloak and pushed up her sleeves.  
  
"It's ridiculously hot in here," she muttered.  
  
"Well, I chose logic. Wear light clothes under, and you don't have to worry," Hermione teased.  
  
"Almost all wizards are horrible with logic. Count me in with them," Cassandra replied helplessly.  
  
"Oh Cassi. You will never learn. You're just as bad as Ron, if not worse," Hermione insisted.  
  
Harry scooped her up and she squealed to be put down.  
  
"What are you saying about my best-friend Ronald Weasley?" he asked.  
  
"That he's as sweet as you are. Now put me down!" Hermione exclaimed giggling.  
  
"I think she's lying!" Harry exclaimed back at her.  
  
Cassandra and Ron began to laugh instantly.  
  
"What's going on?" Seamus Finnigan asked with his arms wrapped around Ginny (who snuck in, as usual!).  
  
Ron stopped laughing at once.  
  
"Nothing," he retorted shortly.  
  
Ron couldn't help but be an over-protective brother. Once again, he was going on and on about how Seamus was too old for Ginny, and would only be taking advantage of her. Hermione, Harry, and now of course Cassandra would always go about him, telling him that one year would hardly make much of a difference.  
  
"You used to like Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks," Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Well, that's different. She was a lot older, and it only went on in my dreams," Ron defended.  
  
"What went on in your dreams?" Harry asked teasingly.  
  
"Oh, you know what I mean. Ginny is just too young for Seamus. I can't believe she's being so ridiculous!" Ron exclaimed with fury.  
  
"I think it's cute," Hermione insisted.  
  
"Now you're being ridiculous!" Ron told her.  
  
"Calm down Ron," Cassandra interviened.  
  
"Yeah you guys. We're here to have fun. Besides, I can't find Trevor," Neville said unamused. He was once again looking for his toad, Trevor.  
  
"Why don't you ditch that thing?" Ron asked, his mind now shifting from his sister to Neville's countless problems.  
  
"Well, my relatives gave it to me, and I couldn't just throw it away. That wouldn't be good, I don't think. Well, I'm not so sure," Neville went on mumbling.  
  
"I remember the first time I heard about that dumb toad. You came waltzing in with Neville and bugging us," Ron said to Hermione.  
  
"What is this? Flashback central? I remember when – is all that's going on," Hermione replied.  
  
"I like remembering the good old care-free days," Harry admitted.  
  
"Who doesn't?" Cassandra asked.  
  
She was having fun listening to all their stories.  
  
"I guess you're right," Hermione said. "Remember the Basilik in our second year? I was so excited when I found out that it was the Basilik that was traveling through the pipes. It all fit in. Which was why you could hear what it was saying. I was extremely thrilled, and then I got petrified after all that," Hermione continued.  
  
"But you're all better now," Ron said.  
  
"Great Wizards. Of course I'm better!" Hermione replied haughtily.  
  
They rode the rest of the way quickly and got dropped off at the great entrance of Hogsmeade. All at once Harry and Ron made a dash for Honeydukes. Cassandra insisted on running off with them, and Hermione could do nothing but follow.  
  
They stayed in Honeydukes for what seemed like ages. Ron and Harry stocked up on Chocolate Frogs. Cassandra and Hermione decided to sample the Every Flavor Beans.  
  
"How weird! I've never had any of these things!" Cassandra exclaimed biting into a raspberry flavored bean.  
  
"You haven't?" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"No, they didn't have these things back at my old school, I guess," Cassandra replied.  
  
"I could stay here for ages," Harry groaned.  
  
"Well, you better let your 'ages' hurry up, because I want to show Cassandra around to the Three Broomsticks. It's a pity Draco couldn't come, or else he'd show you around. Well, I don't want him to come, but I know how you guys feel for each other," Hermione said hesitantly.  
  
Then Hermione and Cassandra shifted off to a corner of Honeydukes.  
  
"Well, we're not love birds completely yet, like you and Harry," Cassandra told Hermione under her breath.  
  
"Oh, stop. There isn't anything between us, and there never will be. He doesn't like me."  
  
"Not true."  
  
"And how would you know?" Hermione asked Cassandra with her hands on her hips.  
  
"I was eavesdropping on Ron and Harry one day and Harry was telling Ron all these things about you."  
  
"What kind of things?"  
  
"Good things."  
  
"Well, does he like me?"  
  
"Yep," Cassandra said with a grin creeping out of her mouth.  
  
"Why doesn't he tell me that then?" Hermione asked frustrated.  
  
"Why don't you tell him you like him?" Cassandra shot back.  
  
"I can't."  
  
"He can't."  
  
"You're siding with him, aren't you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm not siding with anyone. I'm just facing the facts," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Why'd you tell me anyway, if you're not going to side with me," Hermione said pouting.  
  
"I'm not siding with anyone. I already said that," Cassandra told her.  
  
Obviously, there would be no more talking about that subject.  
  
Hermione turned to Harry and Ron and scolded them.  
  
"You guys! We need to get back and I still want to go to the Three Broomsticks," she said.  
  
"Okay, okay," Harry and Ron mumbled.  
  
They all payed for their sweets and then left.  
  
The Three Broomsticks was filling up with Warlocks and Witches. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Cassandra got a table in one of the corners. They drank warm Butter Beer and their insides became heated at once. After paying Madam Rosmerta, the group left and headed back for the train.  
  
Cassandra jumped in last and heaved the compartment door closed. They rode back in silence, all tired. Hermione couldn't look Harry in the eye.  
  
Honestly! He's the biggest coward!  
  
They climbed off the train and went back to the Gryffindor common room to goof around for a little bit, and then go to the Great Hall for dinner.  
  
They ate very little, all slightly ill on their pig out of junk food from Honeydukes.  
  
Harry was looking at Hermione, but Hermione didn't bother to glance back.  
  
He rolled his eyes, wondering what the matter was, and then they all went back to sleep.  
  
Sunday was boring. They didn't do much and Hermione stayed up in her bed and studied for finals.  
  
  
  
  
  
On Monday, Potions class was first, and they would be taking practice finals that would count one-fifth of their mid-term.  
  
Hermione got ready calmly. She didn't seem to be fighting with Harry, but nobody could really tell, as they were ignoring each other. Harry was spending time with Lavender (who all in all preferred Harry ten times to Neville), and Hermione was staying up in the seventh year girl quarters. She lifted the earrings that used to be her grandmother's from her dresser and pinned them to her ears. Then she put on a yellow full-sleeved shirt with tiny pockets above the elbows, and a pair of short white over-alls. She grabbed a bright yellow robe (that she normally detested for the attention it would attract) and left it loose and untied. Then she slipped on a pair of see through beach sandals. She grabbed one of her many purses. This one was yellow and clear like her shoes. Then she grabbed her backpack, and started listening to her portable CD player, that a cousin had given her.  
  
She was humming the tune of 'I Wanna Be With You' by Mandy Moore as she walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. She grabbed the usual slice of toast, ate it quickly, and popped a piece of gum into her mouth and began to chew it.  
  
Then the bell rang loudly and she walked off for the biggest Potions dungeon in the whole school. The Hogwarts seventh year students mostly took all their Potions classes in this one. She wanted to get into class before everyone else so she could review the Draught of Living Death potion once again in peace and quiet.  
  
Just as the bell rang, Ron and Harry came walking in. Snape wasn't in the room yet, and the class was going wild. Harry swung his arms around Hermione's shoulders.  
  
She irritatedly shook the off. "Oh Harry, I've got some work to do."  
  
"Are you okay Hermione? Are you sure you aren't mad at me?" he asked.  
  
"Of course not Harry. I've just got to study for this test," Hermione said, being releaved of her anger as Harry's eyes looked straight into her's.  
  
"Oh yeah. I guess the test sort of slipped my mind. Mind if I borrow your notes?" Harry asked softly, kissing Hermione's forehead.  
  
"You're already looking at them," Hermione replied gently as Harry's lips found hers.  
  
They released each other, only just in time.  
  
Snape came bustling into the room, and he wasn't in a very good mood.  
  
"My last class of idiotic first years blew up the first cell. Not one of you had better have anything to say. Well, well, well. If it isn't famous Potter? Get to your seat at once. Twenty points from Gryffindor. You should know better than to be reading notes, last minute!" Snape barked across the room at Harry.  
  
Harry's mouth fell, but he knew better than to argue. He went to his own seat and collapsed.  
  
Draco Malfoy snickered, but Cassandra put her hand over his and he was magically silenced.  
  
"How do you do that?" Hermione asked whispering softly to her.  
  
"I'm just me. That's all I can say," Cassandra replied gingerly.  
  
"I hope I didn't fail!" Ron exclaimed as they walked out of the dungeon.  
  
"Well Ron, I hope this teaches you a lesson. Start studying before the day of the exam," Hermione replied.  
  
"I don't need any lectures. It wouldn't have helped. I hate this stuff. I want to drop Potions!" Ron shouted.  
  
"You can't now. Just cheer up Ron. I hate Potions too," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Too true," Harry replied glumly.  
  
"Who doesn't? Anyway, the main thing is that we get our grades back in two days, and I want to do good!" Hermione replied.  
  
"You'll do good. Don't worry about that," Ron replied bitterly.  
  
"Well, I've got to run now. Draco probably wants to drool all over me," Cassandra said giggling.  
  
Then she ran off.  
  
"I'm going to Parvati and breaking up with her. She's getting old," Ron said.  
  
Then he left too.  
  
Parvati and Lavender were now running into Cho's little clique, especially since they saw Harry and Hermione together.  
  
It was almost as if they formed some sort of Harry Potter Fan Club. Ron wasn't interested in Parvati anymore. He would be contented to himself for a while.  
  
Suddenly Harry and Hermione found themselves to be alone, together, in the middle of the hallway.  
  
"Harry, what's wrong? You look like you haven't slept in ages," Hermione whispered in the silent hall.  
  
"Dumbledore's been keeping me up. Lupin's come back as well. They keep talking to me about Dark Arts and stuff," Harry replied softly.  
  
He rubbed his forehead.  
  
"Why? Why do you need to be talking about Dark Arts?" Hermione asked, frightened.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore and Lupin think something. I can't talk about it, not yet anyway," Harry replied annoyed at the two respected elders.  
  
"Well, when you can, do tell, will you?" Hermione asked quizzically.  
  
"I will. I hope that I can tell," Harry said mystically.  
  
Then he walked away silently leaving Hermione mixed up in her feelings.  
  
  
  



	8. The Confession

Chapter Eight: The Confession  
  
Hermione stood for a while. Then she walked back up to the Gryffindor common room in confusion.  
  
So, why is Harry hiding everything from me? She wondered.  
  
Cassandra crawled through the portrait of the fat lady, and she walked into the common room and found a seat next to Hermione near the fireplace.  
  
"What's up?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Which also stands for 'a whole bunch but I'm not about to tell you'," Cassandra told her with a grin.  
  
"Right, so..." Hermione said, trying to change the topic.  
  
"I get the point. Well, what do you want to do now?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"We just finished our Potions mock exam, so I guess we could play some Wizard Chess," Hermione offered.  
  
"Wizard Chess? What the Muggle is that?" Cassandra replied with her eye- brows arching up.  
  
"It's just like Muggle Chess, except that the piece move by themselves, and have actual lives and stuff. It's real simple. Don't you know how to play Chess?" Hermione asked her waving a hand out.  
  
"Of course I do. It should be simple, shouldn't it? Come on, let's play. Get a board," Cassandra said.  
  
Ron let Cassandra borrow his Chess pieces and Hermione used her own. She took out her board and laid it out on one of the tables in the common room.  
  
"Okay Cassandra. You can make the first move if you want. Of course, you have to, you're white," Hermione explained.  
  
"Of course. Now, I'm moving my pawn to E4. Your turn," Cassandra replied sweetly.  
  
"Wow, that's a good move. I didn't think you were good," Hermione said.  
  
"No offense," she added quickly.  
  
"None taken. Hermione, Hermione, there are a lot of things you don't know about me," Cassandra replied mystically.  
  
"Like what?" Hermione challenged.  
  
"I'll tell you when the time comes, darling," Cassandra told her mischievously.  
  
"Right, whatever. Come on, let's play!" Hermione said determined to win.  
  
But she lost!  
  
"What?" Hermione cried. "But how?"  
  
"It's very simple. Once you get your own king blocked into a position, such as this, there is no possible way for you to remove it, and I can easily block you into a quick checkmate. Now, if you had freed your pawns out from that area, you could have possibly had a few more moves before I said checkmate, do you understand?" Cassandra asked eagerly.  
  
"Forget I asked," Hermione said.  
  
Dean Thomas walked up and said in disbelief, "Hermione ask someone something, and then tell him or her to forget about it? This is a first!"  
  
"Oh Dean. Don't make a scene!" Hermione muttered.  
  
"Right. That rhymes. Well, see you guys around," Dean replied laughing.  
  
"Right, see you," Hermione said weakly.  
  
"Bye Dean!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
Dean shook his head laughing as he walked away.  
  
"Well, you played good Cassi. I'm going to go take a walk. Don't mind me," Hermione said drifting off. She got out of the Gryffindor dorms and walked out into the open hallways. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lavender and Parvati.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Lavender asked in a very snotty voice.  
  
"I wouldn't know," Hermione replied.  
  
"Really? At the Quidditch match, and other places, you seemed to be extremely friendly with him. Now you don't know where he is?" Parvati asked in a mock shocked voice.  
  
"We're just friends. I'm sorry if you have a problem with that," Hermione replied shortly. She walked past them hurriedly and pushed her hair behind her face elegantly.  
  
She continued walking around the school. She almost circled it once. Then she saw Professor McGonagall coming up to her with lines of worry covering her face.  
  
"What's wrong Professor?" Hermione asked terrified.  
  
"My dear Hermione. Have you seen Harry?" the thin professor asked her quickly.  
  
"Well, I did a couple of hours ago," Hermione replied.  
  
Why does everything revolve around Harry? She wondered.  
  
"Would you know where he went by chance?" Professor McGonagall asked.  
  
"No. He just left in a hurry," Hermione replied.  
  
"Has Harry mentioned anything ever to you?"  
  
"He's said stuff to me. What do you mean by 'anything'?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm just worried about what Harry is doing," Professor McGonagall replied secretively.  
  
"Well, I don't think I was much help," Hermione said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Don't you worry. It's for your safety. It's not anything important," Professor McGonagall replied smiling feebly. Then she patted Hermione quietly on the head and walked off.  
  
What is going on? Everyone is acting like there is some huge secret. Why aren't people letting me in on whatever is going on? This is making me so mad!  
  
Then Hermione bumped into Harry.  
  
Harry laughed and put his arms around Hermione's waist. Hermione pulled away instantly.  
  
"What's the matter?" Harry asked confused.  
  
"Nothing, absolutely nothing. I don't know why everyone is simply drooling all over you. Professor McGonagall is looking for you. Parvati and Lavender are mad at me because you spend time with me. Now that I'm not all over you too, you're asking me what the matter is. Well, here's the real deal. Something's going on around here and nobody's telling me what's up. That's what the matter is!" Hermione exclaimed furiously.  
  
Harry waved one hand aside and a crazed look crossed his face.  
  
"What did McGonagall tell you?" he suddenly asked.  
  
"Nothing. Only that she was looking for you. Then she asked me if you told me anything. She also said something about my safety. So, tell me Prince Potter, what is going on?" Hermione screeched.  
  
"A bit louder Hermione?" Harry snapped shortly.  
  
Hermione drew back. Harry never spoke in any tone other than the sweet one he always used when he was talking to her. Then he snapped.  
  
"Okay fine! I'm sorry," Hermione replied shortly. She wasn't about to give up.  
  
"Let's go up to one of the Astronomy Towers, quickly. I guess it's time we talked," Harry admitted.  
  
Hermione looked baffled but she ran after Harry as he quickly climbed the stairs to one of the Astronomy Towers. She was out of breath as they reached the top.  
  
  
  
  
  
Harry was looking very peaceful. He took a telescope and looked at the moonlight through it. He placed the telescope back onto the stand and back on the dusty old table.  
  
"Dumbledore and Lupin have been talking to me about Dark Arts," Harry began. Hermione didn't dare interrupt. She knew he was about to say something serious.  
  
"Dumbledore had been hearing about a lot of different things lately, concerning Voldemort – don't flinch – and Dark Arts. So, he went through a lot of trouble to find a Dark Arts newspaper or any type of information on it. So, he finally..." Harry couldn't finish as Ron suddenly burst through the door.  
  
"Harry! Hermione! I was looking for you guys. Cassandra's pretty worried too. We didn't know where you guys went. You had gone off for ages. Dinner finished and you still never showed up!" Ron exclaimed horrified.  
  
Hermione swore under her breath – something she would never ever do – and then looked up at Ron.  
  
"Is it that late already?" Harry asked.  
  
"I couldn't notice," Hermione added sweetly.  
  
"Well, come on down. We've got a stash of Honeydukes stuff back at Gryffindor. You can eat something then," Ron offered.  
  
They walked down and through many doors. Finally they were back in Gryffindor common room. Hermione snuck into Harry's bedroom and began to eat some of the sweets with him on his bed. Ron left to play Wizard Chess with Cassandra.  
  
"I can't tell you anything today," Harry whispered as he put his arms around Hermione.  
  
"Why not?" Hermione asked looking at him.  
  
"It's not safe. I'll talk to you later, but I can't say anything now. Please tell me you understand how difficult this is for me. They told me not to tell you anything. They told me not to do anything with you. How can I be perfect old messy haired Harry Potter in a time like this? It won't work. I'll tell you when the time is right. I'm sorry Hermione," Harry replied softly behind her ear.  
  
He looked at her suddenly with begging green eyes. They looked so innocent and helpless that Hermione melted in his arms instantly.  
  
"You don't have to be sorry. Just hold me for now," Hermione replied.  
  
So he never let her go.  
  
~*~  
  
"I heard you had a late night talk with Harry. What did he tell you?" McGonagall asked Hermione sharply.  
  
It was after classes on Wednesday, and Professor McGonagall had called Hermione to her office. Now Hermione was sitting in a cold chair. The window was open. It was blowing wind through Hermione's hair. She sat up straight and replied to Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Nothing. He didn't get a chance, really," Hermione replied cautiously.  
  
"Well Hermione. I do think it's time that you know. You see, Harry was the only wizard to ever stop – almost defeat – the dark lord."  
  
"I know that already. And don't say Dark Lord. Just say Voldemort. It doesn't matter anymore," Hermione said strongly.  
  
"All right. Voldemort. Well, Voldemort is regaining strength now, and it's been heard of, that in Romania and Northern England, many wizards have been killed. They all die with Voldemort's lightning scar. You could say that's his symbol," Professor McGonagall paused for a breath.  
  
"What does this have to do with Harry though?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, Voldemort knows himself, that he will never be what he once was. And either, he kills Harry and gets all his power back, or he has another choice."  
  
"What's the other choice?" Hermione asked flatly.  
  
"Harry has to go join Voldemort," the professor said quietly.  
  
"What?" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
She gasped loudly.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked towards the ground.  
  
"Yes, we couldn't tell anyone. It's much too risky, having everyone find out. It does seem that our best students always turn evil," Professor McGonagall said with a bitter laugh.  
  
She stood up, began pacing the room, and looked Hermione straight in the eye for a long time.  
  
"This is where you come in. I must ask that you spend no more time with Harry," McGonagall said with forceful eyes, but a broken heart.  
  
"What? Why though?" Hermione cried out.  
  
"We will try to keep Harry alive. Most likely he will turn into a Dark Arts Wizard. But, if he has the smallest chance of using Dark Arts to conquer Voldemort, then he might survive. You see Harry learns Dark Arts stuff now. I must show you something," Professor McGonagall said.  
  
She pulled out a piece of parchment from her bag and laid it on her table.  
  
Hermione read it to herself:  
  
The Netherworld:  
  
Now our lord Voldemort is regaining strength. He has conquered many in Romania and England. It is known that he is killing Dark Wizards, mostly, to get their power. Once he has gained enough power, we know he will strike the Potter boy. Then, once again, Voldemort will triumph over our world. Life will be good again, as it once was. Now we must simply sit and wait.  
  
Written by Gorris Galdow  
  
"But this is a Dark Arts newspaper!" Hermione exclaimed in shock.  
  
"Yes it is. The headmaster had to go to great lengths to find one. He finally got hold of one. Now we know for sure, that this is Voldemort's – I dare say – eventual plan. He was once such a nice boy, and now he has turned evil. The most evil person in the world. Now Harry has three choices. The first one is for Voldemort to kill him, and then take over the rest of the world. Or, he can join Voldemort as they kill the world together. The last choice is very confusing. He will either kill Voldemort and survive. This will bring the world to good again. Otherwise, he will kill Voldemort and die. The last choice is the one we're all hoping for," McGonagall said.  
  
"What? You're using Harry! Don't you see? Either have both of them killed or Harry killed or join Voldemort. What type of a choice is that? Great Wizards!" Hermione muttered.  
  
"I shouldn't have involved you. You wouldn't understand, I knew it," Professor McGonagall mumbled.  
  
Hermione stood up and the professor instantly sat down.  
  
"No! I want to know! I will understand. Just tell me the rest of whatever you have to tell me," Hermione shouted.  
  
"Voldemort eventually killed many of his friends. Hermione, when one practices Dark Arts, nothing else much appeals to him. Soon he cares of nothing, but taking over the world. That's what will happen to Harry."  
  
"But Harry doesn't practice Dark Arts."  
  
"He will Hermione. He has started already."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Albus and Remus have been helping him."  
  
"Helping him to do what? Take over the world or die trying?"  
  
"That's not it Hermione. He's the only one powerful enough to destroy Voldemort."  
  
"Then why does he have to use Dark Arts. That's awful!"  
  
"Dark Arts is simply another form of the art of Wizardry. It is stronger, and it eats up your soul."  
  
"Can't Harry use his Advanced Defense lessons to conquer Voldemort?"  
  
"Uh, well, he could possibly, but it probably wouldn't be powerful enough."  
  
"Possibly, probably, you're not even sure about this whole ordeal," Hermione muttered.  
  
"This 'whole ordeal' is very hard on everyone. I didn't think you would understand."  
  
"Okay, fine. I understand. So, why can't I spend time with Harry?" Hermione asked bewildered.  
  
"Harry could put you in danger. The prophecy states that any Dark Lord can kill the ones they love."  
  
"He doesn't love me. We're only friends!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Well, he could even hurt Ron, if that's the case. Love is love in more than one way. You wouldn't know Hermione."  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"I used to go to school with Harry's father, James."  
  
"You did? But you never told me."  
  
"I know. In our third year, Dumbledore told me that James was a powerful wizard. That he would become a Dark Wizard and die one day. He said that if I went along with him, then I would die too. He told me that it would never suit for us to have a life together. I never spoke to him after that."  
  
"You never spoke to him? That's crazy! But, James Potter was never a Dark Wizard, unless there's something you haven't told me."  
  
"True, true. James never was a Dark Wizard. But, if I had married him, Harry would have been a Dark Wizard from the start, a horrible person. You know who I was like when I was your age?"  
  
"Me, of course," Hermione replied attempting a feeble smile.  
  
"Yes. James was a powerful Wizard, a good one, but a powerful one. I was top of my classes, intelligent and all the teachers favored me. If we would have had a child, it would have been smart, daring, intelligent, powerful, and it would one day rule the world. So you and Harry can never have a life together."  
  
"We're only friends. We're not having children," Hermione replied harshly.  
  
"You may think that, but I know for a fact that Harry had other plans in mind."  
  
"He never told me though."  
  
"You think he would? Dumbledore's been ratting his brain about all this stuff since the fifth year."  
  
"I'm shocked. But the prophecy's been wrong once. It could be wrong again, couldn't it?" Hermione asked.  
  
"There is a very slim possibility. Well, Dumbledore needs to see me now. You better get off to the Gryffindor common room, or people will start asking questions."  
  
Hermione bowed and then left. She walked slowly and bumped into Harry. She attempted to laugh. Harry looked awful.  
  
"What happened to you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"What did McGonagall tell you?" Harry asked, ignoring her question.  
  
"Everything, well, I think everything."  
  
"Did she tell you about the prophecy? Did she tell you everything about me?" Harry asked.  
  
"I think she told me everything she knew," Hermione replied gently.  
  
"What do they want from me? First they turn me into a Dark Wizard. Now they're not going to let you live in peace. Well, I'll tell you, before they tell you anything else, I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to have a good normal Wizard life, as normal as they get! I – I love you Hermione. There! I said it!" Harry exclaimed gasping for air.  
  
He fell into Hermione's arms and she smelt his cinnamon soft breath. He kissed her forehead.  
  
"Forget about the prophecy. It's been wrong once. It can be wrong again, can't it Harry?" Hermione begged.  
  
"I don't know. You can't ask me that. They told me what would happen if I was with you. I can't let you take that risk. I love you too much!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"If you love me as much as you say you do, then you'd obey my wishes, wouldn't you? I want you to hold me, and forget about the prophecy. Who cares? It won't stand in our way, will it? I won't let it. I absolutely won't let it. No way! I'm standing up for my rights now. I won't be a little study girl. Wherever you go Harry, I'll be with you every step of the way. And you can't make me change my mind!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Then say the words Hermione," Harry said lifting his face up.  
  
"I love you Harry. There! I said it too. Now we both know. Now we aren't cowards anymore. No, we'll tell each other EVERYTHING from now on. We won't keep anything away. It'll hurt us both, if we do. I'm scared Harry. I'm absolutely frightened. I don't know what we'll have to do, but either way, we're going to get through this. I'm positive we will. I know you can do it."  
  
"Hermione! I don't know if I can really do it. Everyone expects me to, but I'm not even an adult. Everyone gives me orders, and lets me learn how to become Voldemort junior, but I don't get to choose. I hate Dumbledore and Lupin for doing this to me!"  
  
"Not Lupin! He's only doing it for your own good."  
  
"All right. You're right. Lupin was my father's friend, one of his closest. And Lupin told me that he didn't want to do this, but Dumbledore was forcing him. Can you believe it though? After all we've been through with Dumbledore? He just changes completely. He's old and a fool now."  
  
"I don't like him anymore than you do, Harry, but do you think it's right for you to say stuff about him like that?"  
  
"Do you think it's right for me to become a Dark Wizard. Do you think it's right for them to keep you away from me? They don't even know what right or wrong is, and neither do I. Dumbledore only wants to save his sorry self from Voldemort. He doesn't even care about anything anymore. He should die now because he's too old to run the school. McGonagall's gone crazy too. You can see it in her eyes."  
  
"She was my favorite teacher, it's come to this now, hasn't it?"  
  
"Snape's quiet now. He doesn't hate me as much as he normally does. He doesn't say Potter and Weasel. He's gone crazy too. The whole school has. All the students are too blind to see anything. They're crazy. Even Ron. They're all crazy. And we're the only ones that aren't going to be allowed to do what we want. And that will make me crazy. I'm going crazy. Vinvandicious!" Harry shouted the last words and pointed his wand to a glass window.  
  
It broke into millions of tiny pieces.  
  
"See what Dark Arts have made me? I'm becoming a raging monster like Voldemort. It's making me scared too. You'll see. This is only the beginning. I am Voldemort. I've been Voldemort ever since he got some of his blood and soul into me. Ever since I became famous. Ever since I was the boy who lived. I'm absolutely insane, and I don't know how I can indulge it. I'm crazy. I'm absolutely mad! They want me to go find Voldemort and fight him. I don't even know where Voldemort is! I'm mad! I haven't said it enough times. It will never be enough. I've gone crazy. I'll be crazy forever. Or at least until Dumbledore is removed from his post. So there isn't anything we can do now. We'll have to put a smile on our faces and go to Gryffindor common room and pretend like nothing happened or will happen. That's what I've been doing for a long time now. Three years, okay? It's been a long time. I can handle it. Well, everyone expects me to handle it. Isn't that the way it is? Everyone expects me to be able to do anything. The only reason I lived was because my mother died for me. There isn't anything special about me anymore."  
  
"Don't say that Harry. You're special. You pulled Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the hat. You are truly an amazing person. You're Quidditch captain, the youngest seeker to play in one hundred years. You're amazing," Hermione said.  
  
Harry turned a deep crimson and smiled.  
  
"Let's go back to Gryffindor common room. Those words just made me feel a whole lot better," Harry said.  
  
He grabbed Hermione's hand and walked into the common room.  
  
"Ya'll are always missing," Cassandra said looking up. "Doing anything?" she added grinning.  
  
"Cassandra Nicole Taylor! We're not like you and Draco, really now," Hermione replied putting her hands up to her hips and calling Cassandra by her long name.  
  
Cassandra stood up from her cushioned chair and said, "Well, fine then, be that way – sniff, sniff – just kidding. Come on, sit down. Grab some chocolate frogs. Sit by the fire. We'll all talk. I know we haven't done that in a long time," Cassandra said laughing.  
  
How could Hermione refuse? She grabbed many pillows, piled them up in a corner and Harry and she sat in the corner. Cassandra moved her chair over. Ron came over too. It was their special little group. Aside from them, Dean, Seamus, Ginny, and Neville would sometimes join them, but it was best when those four were all to themselves.  
  
Harry leaned back and sat his legs out in front of him. Hermione tucked her knees towards her and laid on Harry's shoulder. Cassandra and Ron jumped off their chairs, grabbed some pillows too and sat on the warm ground.  
  
"Are you okay Ron? I mean, about you and Parvati breaking up and stuff?" Hermione asked softly.  
  
"Yeah! I'm happy. She gets awfully annoying sometimes," Ron admitted.  
  
"You and Cassandra would make a good couple," Harry said laughing.  
  
"I love Ron. He's the sweetest, but I have too much fun torturing Draco," Cassandra said sweetly.  
  
She wrapped her arms around Ron and gave him a tight hug.  
  
"We're the most awesome friends though," she added with a huge smile.  
  
"I guess we're all we've got now," Hermione admitted. "I mean, Lavender and Parvati hate us both. Me for being with Harry. You for smooching Draco 24/7. I guess it's okay though. I don't care what they think anymore," Hermione added.  
  
"I never did care what they thought. Why should we? They're idiots. Forget about them!" Cassandra exclaimed with a wave from her hand.  
  
"That's hilarious because you were so nice and sweet to them in the beginning," Hermione pointed out laughing.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but they were 'dunderbells' as Snape says," Cassandra replied.  
  
They all burst into laughter.  
  
"What was the real reason you came to Hogwarts Cassandra?" Hermione suddenly asked.  
  
"Well, it's a bit embarrassing, but the school couldn't really take anymore of me. I accidentally blew up three or four of the Potions dungeons. I told you I've always hated Potions. Then, one day I got really mad and blew up one of the girl's restrooms. I think that was the last straw. So, McGonagall was happy to take me. She couldn't stand not having exactly 280 students at her school. You know McGonagall. She insists on everything being perfect," Cassandra explained.  
  
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you got – well basically – kicked out of your old school. It's fun having you here," Ron said.  
  
"Yep!" Hermione chirped up.  
  
"You know what?" Harry instantly asked  
  
"What?" the other three asked, replying to Harry's perked up voice.  
  
"Why don't we sneak out to Hogsmeade now. Just go to the Three Broomsticks for some Butterbeer and stuff. I sure could use it, and I know Cassandra's bursting to break some rules," Harry said.  
  
"Too true," Cassandra remarked.  
  
"Yeah! I love Butterbeer!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Ron, you idiot. Oh fine, I'll go get my cloak."  
  
That was Hermione.  
  
"We'll give you some time. Ron and I need to freshen up too. Wear something besides those jeans. Meet you back down here in half an hour," Harry said. Then he ran up to his room.  
  
"What is Harry up to?" Hermione wondered shaking her head.  
  
"Well, if they're freshening up, then I'm putting on my new skirt!" Cassandra exclaimed happily.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and followed Cassandra into the room that they shared.  
  
Cassandra put on a light pink skirt with prints on the bottom. It went down to her knees. She put a full-sleeved plain white shirt on the top and a pink bandana with the same prints in her hair which she let loose for the most part. Then she grabbed a pink jeweled necklace and some clogs.  
  
"You look good," Hermione said, still in her jeans.  
  
"I know I do! Now you need to get dressed! Why don't you borrow something from me? How about a tube top?" Cassandra dared Hermione.  
  
"No way! I'll settle for something a bit more subtle. But if you insist, I will borrow something," Hermione added smiling.  
  
"I do insist. Come on! Oh wait – one of my favorite tracks is on this CD – The Real Slim Shady!" Cassandra exclaimed turning the volume up.  
  
"Slim Shady? As in Eminem?" Hermione asked bewildered.  
  
"Sure! He's pretty 'in' in the U.S.A. Don't you listen to him?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"I guess, sometimes, well, not that much really," Hermione admitted.  
  
"Well, you should. He's a pretty okay singer, I guess. I listen to almost everything. Have you heard of Faith Hill? I love that song – what is it called? Breathe! That's one awesome song," Cassandra said.  
  
"That's cool and all, but we're a bit off track here. We were deciding what I was going to wear," Hermione reminded Cassandra with another roll of her pretty brown eyes.  
  
"Right! Okay. I've got a blue skirt just like this pink one – only it's blue. Do you want to wear it?" Cassandra offered.  
  
"Sure. I've got a white shirt just like that. Let me get it out," Hermione said.  
  
So she got a blue jeweled necklace out, her white shirt, and clogs identical to Cassandra's. She brushed her hair back and put blue clips in it.  
  
"You look perfect!" Cassandra squealed.  
  
"Thanks – I think," Hermione replied.  
  
They ran back into the common room where Ron and Harry were already standing.  
  
"Hey Harry! How are you? What are you doing now?" Parvati said batting her eyes.  
  
"I'm going somewhere with Hermione, Cassandra, and Ron," he replied shortly.  
  
Then Hermione and Cassandra came into view.  
  
"Oh, well, I guess I'll be – uh – talking to Dean now. I think he's absolutely CRAZY about me. Hehe. Well, au revoir Harry," Parvati said with a toss of her hair.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
"What's up with her? I think he's absolutely CRAZY about me. Hehe. Well, au revoir Harry," Cassandra mocked.  
  
Ron laughed.  
  
"I know. She totally ignored me. Oh well, it's not like I care," he said.  
  
"Let's go," Harry said.  
  
They climbed aboard the train to Hogsmeade after walking nearly half a mile of the Hogwarts campus.  
  
"We can't stay out too late. It's a school night," Hermione said reminding them all.  
  
"Who cares? Friends first! School last!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
The train stopped at the entrance of Hogsmeade – as usual. They got down and walked straight to the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"What would you like Harry? Out late again on a school night?" Madam Rosmerta asked with her jewlery clinking hard and making noise.  
  
"You bet! We want four warm Butterbeer mugs, thank you. Could you please serve them to us at our tables?" Harry asked.  
  
"Sure Harry. Anything for you," Madam Rosmerta replied and began filling up the mugs.  
  
Harry, Ron, Cassandra, and Hermione went and got some seats. Madam Rosmerta came up to them and dropped the Butterbeer by.  
  
They drank the warm Butterbeer sip by sip.  
  
"Harry, you've got foam all over your lip," Hermione said laughing.  
  
She took a handful of napkins and began wiping the foam off of Harry's lip.  
  
"So do you," he replied giving her a kiss on her mouth.  
  
"Now it's gone," he said grinning.  
  
"And you've got more," Hermione said laughing.  
  
She took the napkins and took the foam off again.  
  
"Aw, look at that! How cute!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick," Ron replied. Hermione gave Ron a playful slap. "Oh you!" she exclaimed, still bursting in laughter.  
  
"Me," he replied.  
  
"Him," Harry and Cassandra said together.  
  
They began to laugh all over again.  
  
"It's getting late," Hermione said.  
  
"You can tell time?" Harry asked.  
  
"Of course I can," Hermione replied.  
  
"I'm not so sure," Ron said.  
  
"Oh you guys! Stop goofing. We really need to get back to Hogwarts. If anyone finds out we've snuck out, we'll be dead!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Okay, fine. Let's go. Hermione's spoiled all the fun," Cassandra said putting on a sad face.  
  
Hermione glared at her and then began to laugh.  
  
They climbed aboard the train quickly.  
  
Hermione almost fell asleep in Harry's lap.  
  
"We can still have fun," she whispered.  
  
"Sure we can," Harry replied in a hushed voice.  
  
"I love you Harry."  
  
"I love you Hermione. Go to sleep. It's okay. I'll wake you."  
  
Then he kissed her forehead and put her cloak over her body.   



	9. Potions and Mandrakes

Chapter Nine: Potions and Mandrakes  
  
On Wednesday, Hermione and Cassandra finished their term papers for History. Professor Binns considered that their midterm exam, as he was to tired to make them actual exams. Hermione was glad she had read the extra book on Warlock Conventions. It came awfully handy, knowing all that information for the term paper. She helped Cassandra finish hers. Then Ron and Harry came asking for help.  
  
"This is the last time!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Harry whispered to Ron under his breath. "Yeah right."  
  
They cracked up.  
  
"Very funny," Hermione replied, shaking her head.  
  
She gave them tons of facts and then let them close the papers on their own.  
  
"Know what today is?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah! It's the Halloween Feast. I can't wait. I'm starved. It's only in about thirty minutes too," Ron replied automatically.  
  
"Do we dress up in costumes and stuff?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"We're already monsters. The wizards!" Hermione said giggling.  
  
"Oh well, thanks. My family has been wizards since forever. They're pure bloods, and I'm sure they'd be hurt if they heard that Hermione," Ron pouted.  
  
"You know I'd never say anything rude to them Ron," Hermione replied instantly. They walked down to the Great Hall, which was painted black, filled with burning candles, and black cats were crawling around.  
  
"Shoo!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
"Who's that good looking Warlock?" Cassandra asked pointing to a guy full of wavy blond hair.  
  
"Where? Oh no! That's Gilderoy Lockhart. What the Muggle is he doing here? He hasn't worked here in five years!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Professor Lockhart is here? No way! I've still kept the get well card he gave me," Hermione said jumping up.  
  
"That idiot! What's he doing here?" Harry asked angrily.  
  
"That cute guy is an idiot? But why?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"He made one of our years wasted, completely in Defense class. Ever read any of his books?" Ron asked.  
  
"Oh, THAT Gilderoy Lockhart. Yeah, he's done some pretty cool things," Cassandra said.  
  
"Cool nothing! He's a fake. Many years ago, he told me and Harry about everything he DIDN'T do. He's a fake, trust me!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"I guess you're right. I should probably throw away the card," Hermione replied.  
  
"Wow! Okay, I'll take your word. Then, what is he doing here?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"That's what I want to know," Harry said.  
  
"Shoo!" McGonagall exclaimed, this time to Lockhart.  
  
"That was hilarious. When has she treated an adult like that?" Ron asked laughing loudly.  
  
"Beats me. At least he's gone. Why'd he even show up? I thought he went mental after that Memory Charm backfired," Harry replied.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Even I'm hungry. Pass me some turkey," Hermione said.  
  
Harry slipped a few slices of turkey onto Hermione's plate from the gold platter.  
  
"Thank you," Hermione told him.  
  
"Sure," Harry replied.  
  
Then it was time for desert. All the tables were cleared. Large goblets, filled with sweets were brought out. Then, at every table, a large cake was brought out. There was a larger one at the professor's table. Dumbledore clinked at his wine glass to silence everyone.  
  
"Please eat your fill. Enjoy the celebration, for today is the anniversary of the dark lord left us!" Dumbledore shouted.  
  
Hermione and Harry started a little conversation as Cassandra and Ron plunged towards the cake.  
  
"Everyone thinks he's the greatest thing, but he's putting me through torture. This was also the day my parents were killed. It stinks!" Harry cried.  
  
"It's okay Harry. I know, and you know. Soon enough Cassandra and Ron will figure out the truth. And that's all that matters," Hermione said soothing Harry.  
  
"He says he isn't afraid of Voldemort. He didn't even say the name just now," Harry replied angrily.  
  
"He probably just didn't want to say Voldemort's name in front of everybody else, because a lot of people are afraid of him and all. You know Dumbledore looks out for everyone's best interest," Hermione said feeling the need to defend the old headmaster.  
  
"Everyone including him and excluding me," Harry replied.  
  
"Just enjoy the feast. We can't change what he says," Hermione replied.  
  
Harry shook his head and got a large slice of raspberry royal cake.  
  
Hermione helped herself to some tarts.  
  
"You're just getting desert? I've already finished mine!" Cassandra exclaimed. "I want to get back to the common room and watch a movie. I brought a bunch with me. Do you want to see 'Can't Hardly Wait' or 'Sixth Sense'? Haley Joel Osment is a really good actor in 'Sixth Sense'."  
  
"We'll see. Harry and Ron can help us choose. I'm almost done eating anyway," Hermione replied.  
  
"Okay, well, hurry up!" Cassandra exclaimed. Hermione took one last bite of all her food and waited for Harry to finish. He finally did and they raced into the common room where Cassandra had snuck in a television set and VCR. She stuck in 'Sixth Sense' first, mostly because she thought Haley Joel Osment was, 'the cutest little thing'.   
  
Hermione agreed, so she didn't protest. All the protesting came from Ron and Harry. Especially Ron. Cassandra promised that they would watch 'Can't Hardly Wait' after.  
  
"Okay, fine. Not that that movie is any better," Ron replied to Cassandra.  
  
Cassandra laughed. She turned the volume down so the other Gryffindor students wouldn't find out.  
  
They watched both movies and went to bed.  
  
"Another late night. This isn't good for us," Hermione said to Cassandra, yawning loudly before she got under her covers.  
  
"But hey, the movies were good, weren't they?"  
  
"I can't object."  
  
"I'm surprised Hermione. You didn't say anything about me sneaking in that VCR and TV. Why not? Aren't you going to scold me for everything I do?"  
  
"Believe it or not, I'm getting tired of it. I'm also getting used to you," Hermione replied.  
  
Cassandra threw a pillow at Hermione's face.  
  
Hermione threw it back at her.  
  
Cassandra grabbed all the pillows on her bed and threw them at Hermione, who fell down laughing. Cassandra pulled Hermione up from the ground and began to laugh.  
  
"Shh! You'll wake up Parvati, and them in the next rooms," Hermione said.  
  
"Well, you started laughing first," Cassandra defended.  
  
"Only because you threw a pillow at me," Hermione replied.  
  
"I'm not even going to argue," Cassandra told her.  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm about to fall asleep standing up. Goodnight Hermione."  
  
"Goodnight Cassandra."  
  
"Sleep tight."  
  
"Don't let the bed bugs bite."  
  
"Goodnight Hermione."  
  
"Shut up! Goodnight Cassandra."  
  
"Sleep tight."  
  
"Here we go again."  
  
  
  
  
  
It was the longest week of Hermione's life. It was only Thursday, and it should have been Saturday. She was glad there was only two more days left till the weekend, when they would go to Hogsmeade again.  
  
"We're supposed to have a dance this Friday," Cassandra said as Hermione was getting ready.  
  
"What?! We had one just a while ago. Hogwarts never has dances, and this year they're just piling up. What am I going to wear, anyway?" Hermione groaned.  
  
"Beats me. But we're supposed to ask the guy to the dance. Fortunate for Draco, he never would ask a Gryffindor girl. I wonder who Ron would go with though. Poor him. I'll set him up with someone, or I'll try to."  
  
"We're supposed to ask the guy? Great! I'm no good at asking Harry for anything," Hermione replied.  
  
"You're asking Harry?"  
  
"No. I was thinking of Crabbe or Goyle. They're more my type."  
  
"Hermione, you're so funny. They're too dumb for you."  
  
"I know!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why are we having this conversation?"  
  
"Beats me. Let's go. Breakfast is almost over and I want to get a bite to eat," Cassandra said.  
  
After breakfast Cassandra popped a piece of bubble gum into her mouth. She was chewing another piece after lunch. They had Potions first.  
  
"Ms. Taylor. Spit that gum out now! You should know that I don't allow gum in any of the dungeons!" Snape bellowed loudly.  
  
"Well, you never told me. But if it's going to bug you, then I'll spit it out," Cassandra replied.  
  
She walked up to the front of the classroom and took the gum out of her mouth and threw it in the trash. Snape was grading papers at his desk. He couldn't see that Cassandra was making faces at him. A few snickers rose from both sides of the classroom, Slytherin and Gryffindor.  
  
"Silence! You're supposed to be reviewing the uses of Mandrakes!" Snape yelled.  
  
"We just did that in Herbology," Cassandra remarked.  
  
"Well, then I expect you to get full marks on this assignment," Snape said snottily back at her.  
  
She rolled her eyes.  
  
"What did you just do?" Snape asked with an ugly sneer.  
  
"Nothing," Cassandra said instantly.  
  
"That's ten points from Gryffindor. Be grateful it isn't more!"  
  
The class silenced and Cassandra went back to her seat frowning.  
  
"Watch it Cassandra. You've been around long enough to know how nasty Snape can turn. Better get quiet quick, unless you want to loose our chances in getting house cup for sure!" Hermione whispered to Cassandra.  
  
Snape had his back turned to them as he was writing their test on the chalkboard. He spun around as he heard Hermione whispering.  
  
"I don't care who that was. If I hear another peep then you will all be in detention for the next two weeks."  
  
He turned around to the chalkboard, and turned to the front in a few short minutes.  
  
"This is your test. You've got fifteen minutes. Finished or not, you'll be turning it in at the end of fifteen minutes. Your time starts now!"  
  
They started working furiously. Hermione took up three pages worth with extra essays underneath every answer, explaining the theories. Cassandra wrote answers quickly, not even in complete sentences, Ron's usual habit was growing on her. Harry did manage to write complete sentences, but he didn't do the essay thing like Hermione. No one did the essay thing like Hermione. She turned in her test to Snape before anyone else did. Snape reviewed it quickly and slopped down a perfect mark angrily, handed it back to her, and then Hermione took her seat proudly.  
  
When he graded Cassandra's test he kept smirking.  
  
"Didn't Herbology teach you to put anything in complete sentences? Or are you growing to be like Weasley. Both of you are getting twenty marks taken away from your test. Don't ever let me see you write this messily again."  
  
Cassandra was blowing off steam the minute class was let out.  
  
"I got a seventy, even though all my answers were right! What a creep!"  
  
"Us lucky people have had him for seven years," Ron replied snidely.  
  
"Well, I think that I did fairly well," Hermione replied.  
  
"What did you get?" Ron asked snatching her paper from her hand.  
  
"What? I don't believe it! Snape gave her full marks, and our answers are the same!" he said angrily.  
  
"Not true. I followed up each answer with a short essay and wrote complete sentences. Furthermore, my handwriting is legible," Hermione replied.  
  
"Perfect Hermione. Perfect in everyway. Head Girl, teacher's pet, perfect homework," Ron grumbled.  
  
"You make it sound like a bad thing," Hermione replied, slightly hurt.  
  
"Don't start arguing. I got ten points taken off for writing my name in the center and not right hand corner," Harry said.  
  
"I'm not going to sit around and be sad over dumb old Snape. I'm going to go find Draco and ask him to the dance tomorrow night. Don't worry Ron, I know I'll find someone for you."  
  
Cassandra ran off and Ron said he wanted to go practice before the Quidditch game against Ravenclaw. He played as a Chaser.   
  
Once again, Hermione and Harry were standing alone in the hallways.  
  
"Well...." Hermione trailed off  
  
"Yeah..." Harry said sighing.  
  
"Would the Quidditch Captain or Head Boy like to go to the dance with me tomorrow night?" Hermione asked heaving a deep sigh.  
  
"I don't know. That all depends. Will she be wearing this?" Harry asked pulling out a silver chain bracelet with a girl and boy figure on it.  
  
"Oh, it's beautiful! Where'd you get it?" Hermione asked slipping on the delicate jewelry.  
  
"I've got my ways. So, will you wear it tomorrow night?" Harry asked.  
  
"Only if you go to the dance with me," Hermione replied.  
  
"Consider yourself a deal," Harry.  
  
"Should we shake on it?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I think we'll kiss on it," Harry said tipping Hermione's chin up and kissing her quickly.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"I've got to go practice some with Ron. He's right. The game's coming up soon. I'd better go," Harry told her.  
  
"Okay, see you later then."  
  
Hermione stood on her tip toes and watched Harry run off.  
  
"Well, I've got to decide what I'm going to wear then," Hermione said laughing and shaking her head. She raced to her closet and began surveying her wardrobe.  
  
~*~  
  
Friday night came quicker than anything. Perhaps it was because Hermione couldn't think about anything else. After Herbology, Hermione ran to her bed. She laid her evening outfit on it. One by one, she slipped on every article of clothing. She had a colorful and printed three-quarter skirt. It went down to her knees. The colors were all variations and designs on blue. It was made of pure silk, and cost her a fortune during a shopping spree in Paris. She wore skin colored pantyhose underneath it. Then she put on a full sleeved cotton white shirt. She took the hair she had and let Cassandra braid it into an elegant French braid. Then she put on very light makeup and her black high sandals. Cassandra put on a black silk skirt that went all the way down to her knees and a white tube top. She gathered all the strands of her gorgeous blond hair and made another French braid. She tied it artfully with a black ribbon. Then she slipped on a pair of Dr. Marten sandals, grabbed her leather jacket, and ran off after Hermione.  
  
Cassandra followed Hermione into the common room. They both looked at the first years. They looked so cute, trying to dress up like adults. Neville's little brother, Marcus Longbottom was wearing a tuxedo. He had a white shirt on underneath, and the tuxedo part of it was black. Then, he had a bright red bow tie near his neck and way too much gel in his hair.  
  
Finally Ron and Harry emerged from the boy's dorms. They were both in black tuxedos, and black ties.  
  
"Why are we wearing these?" Ron groaned.  
  
"Because, tonight's a big night," Harry replied, rolling his eyes quickly."  
  
"What are you guys waiting for? Let's go. Maybe they'll play the 'Thong' song," Cassandra begged.  
  
"You think I have nothing better to do than listen to some silly thong song. You've got to be out of your mind," Hermione scolded.  
  
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, your majesty," Cassandra replied hiding giggles.  
  
They climbed out of the Fat Lady's portrait and walked to the Great Hall. This time the Great Hall was colorfully paint in a great array of spring color's and rainbows.  
  
"It's not even winter," Harry mumbled.  
  
"You know Dumbledore. He always likes to spice things up," Ron replied laughing.  
  
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances again.  
  
"Right, anyway..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
She attempted to change the subject, but nothing came to mind.  
  
Cassandra skipped around impatiently. "I need to find – there he is. Look how stupid he looks. Hey Draco! Yeah, I'm talking to you. You look stupid!" Cassandra shouted in Draco's direction.  
  
"What do you want Taylor?" Draco asked.  
  
"I want you to come here."  
  
Draco slowly walked over, dragging his feet.  
  
"Why'd you hang out with the dregs of society?" he asked Cassandra.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
"Why do you hang out with those two pigs?" Cassandra asked before smooching him on the lips loudly.  
  
"Crabbe and Goyle are better than Scar Boy and Weasel any day. Not to mention Granger, who should be Beaver, on account of her teeth," Draco defended.  
  
"I think not," Cassandra replied haughtily.  
  
"I'm with Cassie," Hermione said automatically.  
  
"What do you know Mud Blood?" Draco sneered.  
  
"More than you," Hermione replied in a monotone.  
  
"Let's go dance Draco," Cassandra said pulling him up to the center of the Great Hall.  
  
"I don't wanna," Draco mumbled.  
  
"Well, I do, so too bad!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
Draco groaned and let Cassandra take his hand and do the Tango. Cassandra was leading most of the time. Crabbe and Goyle were standing in the background pretending to do the Tango and mocking Cassandra and Draco. Draco began to cuss at them.  
  
"Let's keep this PG, shall we?" Professor Dumbledore suggested pleasantly.  
  
"Yes, please!" Professor McGonagall said crossly, with her eyes narrowing together.  
  
"Don't mind Draco Professor. He's a bit mental in the head," Cassandra said sweetly. Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
Harry and Ron fell over in their chairs, laughing.  
  
Draco put a mean scowl all over his face. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and started scratching their heads.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes again.  
  
"That's Hermione for you," Ron said.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about. Everyone's acting so silly. Can't people be serious for once?" Hermione defended.  
  
"Can't you go up there and tango like Cassandra for once?" Harry asked, his face softening.  
  
Then he voiced a low whisper.  
  
"Nobody knows about what's going on. They don't see the point in being serious. They're too blind, at any rate. Let's just forget about it all, we can do that, can't we?" he asked.  
  
"Well, you know as well as I do that it won't do any good to forget about it. You're right though. They're too blind. Let's just hang out. I'm not much up for dancing," Hermione replied.  
  
"Okay. If that's what you want," Harry said shrugging his shoulders.  
  
Hermione nodded with her hair bobbing up and down.  
  
She laid her head on Harry's firm shoulder, and let her soft curls be gently brushed with Harry's breath, for the rest of the night.  



	10. The Triwizard Tournament

Chapter Ten: The Triwizard Tournament  
  
Saturday morning Cassandra threw a pillow at Hermione and awoke her.  
  
"What did you do that for?" Hermione asked grumpily.  
  
"McGonagall told me to wake anyone who was still asleep, and I decided to throw a pillow at you."  
  
"Why would McGonagall wake us up at – FIVE – in the morning on a Saturday, I'd like to know," Hermione said.  
  
"Well, whatever it is, it must be something important," Cassandra told her.  
  
"Why on Earth were you already up?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I never went to bed, I don't think I did, anyway. Draco and me had a gay time – hehe – yesterday night, after the party, that is. Luckily the Fat Lady was playing cards with Violet from another painting, so she let me in," Cassandra explained.  
  
"I don't believe it! You get away with everything!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"It takes skill, I'll tell you that much," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Well, let me shower, and put something on. Then we can walk to the Great Hall for whatever this big thing is," Hermione said grumpily.  
  
She took a quick shower and blow-dried her hair. She put butterfly clips all around her hair, a white ruffled tube top with a polo tee over it, unbuttoned. Then she put on a pair of blue jean shorts, Doc Martens, and a silver chain around her neck.  
  
"Which robe should I wear?" Cassandra said out loud.  
  
"I'm wearing my navy blue silk one," Hermione said.  
  
"I'll wear my green one," Cassandra decided.  
  
"Not your parrot green one, I hope," Hermione said narrowing her eyes.  
  
"Nope, my forest green one. I save that parrot green one for days we have Potions!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes quickly and slipped on her robe, keeping it untied, and left with Cassandra for the Great Hall.  
  
She was late! Almost the whole school was already in the Great Hall, they were all groggy eyed, but still up. Marcus Longbottom was still in his pajamas, and Ron kept falling asleep on Harry's shoulder.   
  
Cassandra and Hermione joined them.  
  
"Hey you guys," Cassandra whispered.  
  
"What's this about?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry and Ron waved and then Harry spoke in a half-awake tone.  
  
"Huh? Oh, Hagrid give me message to come early – tell people too. So, I do, then come here," Harry said.  
  
"Oh gosh Harry. It's not that early!" Hermione scolded.  
  
Harry leaned on Hermione's shoulder.  
  
"Yes it is," he said, leaning even closer.  
  
Even though it was morning, Hermione could still smell his soft, cinnamon, and ice cool breath.  
  
"Harry, stop, McGonagall is just a few feet away," Hermione whispered.  
  
Harry straightened up and Ron and Cassandra burst into giggles.  
  
Dumbledore took his place at the high table and put a spoon to a glass, silencing everyone. His twinkling eyes looked out to them, from the half moon spectacles.  
  
"I know most of you are probably wondering why I have called you at such an early time. It is a very important matter, that most of you will not know about. Some of you, I'm sure will know exactly what I'm talking about," Dumbledore said, glancing at Harry with another twinkle of his eyes.  
  
Harry decided to forget about what was going on, completely, and like Dumbledore while he gave the speech.  
  
"A few years ago, three to be precise, Hogwarts held a tournament, it was called the Triwizard Tournament. In this competition, three students from three different schools participated. It was hosted at our very own school. Now, last year there were many complications, which I do not wish to speak about, at this moment anyway. Many of you will find out eventually, I dare say. Back to the main point, yes, one of the men who thought up the idea for this is growing old now. He wants to have it every year from now on, and normally it is only held every five years," Dumbledore went on.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked at each other. They suddenly remembered all the events of their strange fourth year. The year when there were no Quidditch games, except that there was this Triwizard tournament. This tournament in which Harry did play a very important part. [Readers, please do not continue if you have not read the fourth book. I don't want to give anything away from it, so please read the book before you read the rest of this story, and my other stories from now on, because I will be using many facts and other material from the fourth book, and other books as well. I only say this, so that you do not have the fourth chapter spoiled for you. That is my only intention, and also, if you were to go on reading, I do not want you to think that I spoiled it for you. Get the fourth book today and start reading so that you can read the rest of my stories. Thanks!]  
  
Suddenly Harry remembered everything from his year before. How his new Defense Teacher pretended to help him, but was really trying to get the Dark Lord's attention. He remembered also, that Dumbledore was so nice to him. Then he remembered how the Goblet of Fire spit out his name, and that the FAKE Mad-Eye Moody had put his name in there, under a different school, and everything was flashing back so quick, he could hardly believe that he would – just possible – be participating in this event again. This time he was of proper age to enter, so he would gladly do so, but last time, he wasn't allowed to, and somehow, he got in, somehow, from the FAKE Mad-Eye Moody. Harry remembered everything and began to listen with rapt attention. He put his arm around Hermione who was trembling with fear, remembering everything, just as well as Harry did. Her summer romance with Krum was good, but right now she knew that she loved Harry.  
  
And that Harry loved her back.  
  
"Students, students. As I was saying! From now on, we are to have it every year, and students that are in their sixth or seventh year are allowed to enter. That means that anyone in the first, second, third, so forth years will have their chance in upcoming years," Dumbledore said to groans and cat calls.  
  
Dennis Creevy, Collin Creevy's brother was looking upset. Collin on the other hand was smiling brightly. Dennis was only a fourth year, but in two more years – as his brother reminded him – he would get to enter his name.  
  
"Now, the other two schools that will be in the competition are Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. They will be arriving soon, tonight in fact, and I would like all of you to make a very good impression. There will be a new headmaster at Durmstrang, not the one that many of you, I'm sure, will remember. Anyone who wishes to enter will write their name onto a slip of paper and slip it in to the Goblet of Fire, the impartial selector of who our school champion will be to compete against the other two students. I warn you, if you try and get in, you will be punished, and also, I have put age barriers surrounding the Goblet of Fire. If you try to get in, something horrible will happen to you. I must warn you again, that if you take age increasing potions, it will be able to tell, please do not. Now I will be giving a further explanation of the Tournament, I hope those of you that already know all about it already will forgive me for giving a short explanation, very short. Now, the Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago. It was as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry. They are Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected from each school. They competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing tied between the young withches and wizards from different nationalities. Then the death toll increased to such a number that we could no longer continue."  
  
"Death toll?" Cassandra whispered, looking excited.  
  
"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament. None have been successful. However, our very own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided that we shall try again. Like three years ago, many preparations have been taken, and we will try hard to make sure that no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The heads of the schools, along with their students, should be arriving tonight, infact. The Goblet of Fire is our impartial judge that will decide who the champion is for each school. The winner will earn the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons as prize money. That is all. You are dismissed to the rest of your Saturday," Dumbledore finished with a wave of his hand.  
  
"He woke us up that early to say that! He could have waited!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"What's it matter? Are you guys going to enter your name in this goblet?" Cassandra asked eagerly.  
  
"What's the point, we know who will win," Ron said.  
  
"I didn't mean that in a snotty way," Ron added looking at Harry's eyes.  
  
"Oh yeah. I forgot. Might as well forget about me then, hehe, silly me," Cassandra said laughing.  
  
"Well, I want to do something important. And I think I know what I'll do," Cassandra added.  
  
She marched off.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I wonder what she's up to," Hermione said looking after Cassandra until she was a speck of something running around the fields.  
  
"Who knows. With Cassi, it can be anything," Harry said.  
  
He sat down under a large Oak Tree.   
  
Hermione and Ron got next to him, Hermione obviously closer than Ron would ever get.  
  
"I want to know what Cassi's doing. She's been gone for ages now," Hermione said.  
  
"She'll be here soon enough," Ron said.  
  
"Yep, there she is right now," Harry replied.  
  
They all looked up and saw Cassandra running breathlessly towards them.  
  
"What did you do Cassi?" Hermione asked worriedly.  
  
"Oh, I ran all over the school trying to find Draco, so I could dump him. I felt like doing something," Cassandra said laughing, once she caught her breath.  
  
"Good for you! Uh – don't you want to take a shower or something?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Sure, in a bit. But I've got to ask Ron something first," Cassandra said pushing up her sleeves.  
  
"Okay," Hermione said.  
  
Cassandra walked over to Ron who was suddenly very interested in Hermione's Warlock's book that she still took outside. He was blushing brightly as Cassandra began to whisper things into his ear. Hermione nudged Harry to look at the two of them. He turned around just in time to see Cassandra kiss Ron on the forehead, which was now as red as a beet.  
  
Hermione began to applaud quietly.  
  
"Oh you," Cassandra said.  
  
"So, are you guys going out now?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Of course," Cassandra replied.  
  
"How do you do that?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Do what?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Walk up to a guy, kiss them, ask them out, you know," Hermione told her.  
  
"It's simple, and – it takes skill," Cassandra added.  
  
They laughed loudly and sat down with Harry and Ron.  
  
"You know... The Thong song is getting a bit old, I think I'm switching to Faith Hill's Breathe now," Cassandra said.  
  
"Okay, that's cool," Hermione said happily. "It's much better then some one saying Thong, thong, thong, thong, thong."  
  
"Well, I guess it can be song number two on the list," Cassandra said, fake sighing.  
  
She grabbed Ron's long arm and made him put his arm around her shoulder.  
  
Suddenly Malfoy came up.  
  
"So, the Weasel gets Cassandra now, huh? It seems like you get everything second hand, clothes, books, and now you've got Cassandra, and she's been used before too," Draco said laughing. He quickly ran off.  
  
"What did that mean?" Hermione asked angrily.  
  
"He's an idiot. We did nothing. He's just mad because I told him that he should dye his hair red to look more like Ron," Cassandra replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Bet he didn't like that," Hermione said.  
  
"Not one bit," Cassandra replied as a smile broke her face.  
  
Hermione grinned back.  
  
"I guess he was cute enough, but if he keeps bullying my friends, well, that's no fun," Cassandra insisted.  
  
"Now I can really say friends forever," Hermione replied.  
  
"Am I missing something?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Only something that started before you arrived," Hermione told her.  
  
Hermione looked at Harry and played with his messy hair.  
  
"Want to go enter your name in the Goblet now?" Hermione asked him softly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. I'd better do it soon, the Goblet of Fire tells us tomorrow who gets picked. The other students will have arrived by then," Harry replied.  
  
He stood up and brushed his robe down. He grabbed Hermione, pulled her close, and walked to the Great Hall.  
  
Once inside, Harry took a piece of parchment from his bags, borrowed a quill from Hermione, and put his name down on a slip of paper. He threw the parchment into the Goblet of Fire. Then he saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle coming up from behind them.  
  
"That was a rude thing to say to Ron," Hermione suddenly told Malfoy.  
  
"What do you know Granger? You'll never be used anyway," he replied sharply.  
  
"I'm glad Cassandra finally saw you for the piece of scum that you are!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Harry put his hand over hers, calming her quickly.  
  
"Now your little boy friend's here to save you, but whenever you're alone, you'll be sorry Mud Blood!" Malfoy exclaimed.  
  
He threw his parchment in and stalked off. Harry and Hermione were standing in the lonely Great Hall.  
  
"Do you want to go talk to Dobby or something?" Harry offered.  
  
"Yeah, why not. I think that might cheer me up," Hermione replied.  
  
Harry grabbed her hand and walked to the Fruit Portrait. He tickled the pear and then the portrait hole opened. He climbed inside and let Hermione follow after him.  
  
A loud squeak came – followed by, "Dobby!" "Dobby see sir!"  
  
"Hey Dobby!" Harry said cheerfully.  
  
"Dobby see sir. Dobby has not talked to sir for many days," Dobby said.  
  
"Well, you see, we've been very busy. They're doing another Triwizard Tournament, do you know?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No, Dobby did not know that sir. May Dobby ask when the other schools are coming?" Dobby asked.  
  
"They're coming tonight, actually," Harry replied.  
  
Dobby was the house-elf that Harry had freed many years ago. Now he was working at Hogwarts.  
  
"Very good sir. The house-elfs will cook up something very good sir."  
  
"I can't wait to eat it," Harry told him. Hermione rolled her eyes, but finally decided that S.P.E.W. had gone on, long enough.  
  
"Yeah Dobby. Anything you make will be great, I'm sure!" Hermione exclaimed, to soothe the house-elf's feelings.  
  
"Look sir. I is wearing the socks you gave me for Christmas. I know that they are the same color, very wrong sir, but still, I would hate to hurt your feelings sir."  
  
Harry laughed. "Good Dobby. I'm glad you liked them."  
  
Dobby's favorite piece of clothing was the sock. He liked wearing his socks differently though, a green one and a red one, for example. According to Dobby, the shopkeeper had made a mistake when Harry gave Dobby socks of the same color for Christmas.  
  
"Is Winky still here?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes sir. She is still here. Very quiet now sir. Cries sometimes sir."  
  
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and laughed at the thought or Hermione being a sir. They didn't want to mention it to Dobby though, they knew he'd start banging his head against the brick fireplace.  
  
"Well, I'm proud of you Dobby. You have a real job. Dumbledore's a good man, that he's paying you and all. We've got to go now though," Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah Dobby, we'll see you around. We promise to come back again," Harry said.  
  
They walked back to Gryffindor common room.  
  
"I think I'm going to go take a shower now, or something," Harry said.  
  
"Okay. I want to hang around with Cassandra for a while anyway," Hermione replied.  
  
Harry kissed her on the forehead and walked off before Hermione could whisper a dazed, "Bye."  
  
Harry went to the Prefect bathroom that he had only used once before. That was to crack open the secrets of the Golden Egg in the last Triwizard Tournament. He thought it would be okay to use it again, since he was Head Boy and all. The Head Boy's were allowed to use the Prefect bathroom, but he had never gone in, with the exception of when Cedric Diggory passed him that clue. He took of his bathrobes and slid into the swimming pool sized bath. Instantly he began playing with all the knobs covered in jewels. Out of one a lucious tooti frooti bubble bath started pouring out. Another one was the sweet smell of the forest. One was as soft as Harry's breath that Hermione was so fond of. He began relaxing in the pool. Then, from behind the bath he heard some noises. It sounded like muffled laughing.  
  
"Who's there?" he called out.  
  
It was Moaning Myrtle  
  
"Myrtle! What are you doing here again?" Harry groaned.  
  
"Same thing I always do," she croaked.  
  
"What? Looking at the prefects take their baths? You've got a sick mind for someone so young!" Harry exclaimed angrily.  
  
He sunk beneath the bath so that Myrtle couldn't see anything except for his shoulders and head.  
  
"You haven't been visiting me anymore, you've made me awfully lonely," Myrtle crooned.  
  
"Well, I've been really busy. There's another one of those Triwizard Tournaments coming up, the guests are arriving tonight, and I was just getting back in the gear of it all. Then out of nowhere, you come back and start gaping at me. You really shouldn't do that Myrtle," Harry scolded pointing a finger annoyingly at her.  
  
"I've been so lonely though. It's almost as if you forgot about me, then again – everyone forgets about me," Myrtle said breaking into tears.  
  
"Oh, I – I'm sorry Myrtle. Look – don't cry. I'll go visit you, some day. I just was really busy – honest," Harry told her, lying quickly.  
  
"So you haven't forgotten about me?" Myrtle said anxiously.  
  
"No – not quite," Harry replied queasily.  
  
"Okay," Myrtle said depressingly.  
  
Harry turned off all the knobs and then looked at Myrtle.  
  
"Close your eyes! I'm getting out now!" Harry commanded.  
  
She shut them tight.  
  
"Myrtle, don't come in here anymore, okay? You shouldn't, it's not a good thing to do. It's a nasty, horrid idea. What do the others say?" Harry asked slipping into his robes.  
  
"I don't talk to them. I hide from them. You're the only one I talk to," Myrtle crooned again.  
  
"Well, don't be looking at them. Don't be looking at me either. Go back to your toilet Myrtle. I'm going back to Gryffindor Common Room," Harry said.  
  
"Well, don't leave yet. I think you're awfully special. I was hoping you had died in your second year, you could have joined me at my toilet. Although I don't think ghosts could really have kids..."  
  
"I've got to go Myrtle. Go back to your toilet, I – I might try to visit you, but I've been told off for going in there, and I figured I'd better stop – and well – I've got to go now." So he left.  
  
"What took you so long Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I was busy – taking a long bath," Harry replied.  
  
"Oh. I'm getting ready. Do you know that Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour are coming today as well?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Why's that?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, they were the champions from last year, you're entering again, so you weren't told about it, and Cedric – well, we all know what happened to Cedric." Hermione said the last part very quietly.  
  
Harry groaned. Cedric died in his fourth year, when they were trying to win the Triwizard cup together, they ended up fighting Voldemort, but Cedric died. Voldemort killed him.  
  
"Yeah, we all know what happened to Cedric, like we'd ever forget," Harry replied.  
  
"Are you still mad about the Cho thing, not the recent one, but you know, in our fourth year?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No. I don't like Cho," Harry replied.  
  
"Okay, sorry, I didn't think – well, I've got to go change," Hermione said.  
  
She stood up from her cozy chair and headed for the girl's dorms. She flopped down on her bed and turned to one side, seeing Cassandra lying down.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked Cassandra.  
  
"Nothing much. I was just really tired, that's all," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Me too. Something is bugging Harry. He seems all worried about the Tournament," Hermione admitted.  
  
"Why?" Cassandra asked.  
  
Of course she didn't know. She wasn't at Hogwarts when everything else happened.  
  
"Well, it's a long story," Hermione said.  
  
"I've got time," Cassandra replied.  
  
Hermione walked over to Cassandra's bed. Then she sat down and told Cassandra all about her fourth year.  
  
"You didn't have Quidditch? That must have been horrible!" Cassandra exclaimed after listening to the whole story.  
  
"That's all you can think about," Hermione replied laughing.  
  
"No. I can also – hey, I've got other interests," Cassandra said.  
  
"Oh really?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah. Like what I'm going to be when I grow up," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Oh. And what is that?" Hermione asked smiling.  
  
"Well, I was majoring in Divination in the USA, but I know you don't like it. Just in case I really didn't want to do Divination I got a second choice behind it. I want to teach here, I want to be a Charms teacher," Cassandra admitted.  
  
"Divination! That's so yuck! Sorry, I think Divination is a bunch of guess work, don't mind me, but really, do you want to teach here?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, more than anything!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"But what about your family in the Americas?" Hermione asked.  
  
"My family – what are you playing with? I hate my family! My dad's in jail – of course he's doing real good right now, minimum security – my mom's dating a million different guys at the same time, and she could care less about me knowing magic. She's a Muggle, go figure. I don't have any siblings. Oh yeah, I've got a huge dog, a St. Brenard. That's my family."  
  
Hermione was shocked. She had a good family. She was an only child, with a pet cat, Crookshanks, and had a lot of family. Both of her parents were Dentists, and they were respected people. Still, Hermione knew better than to judge Cassandra, now she knew why Cassandra acted so weird. It didn't matter! Cassandra was a good friend!  
  
"Wow! I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry. This is a good year. Like I said, Dad's only got minimum security. He didn't do anything horrible. Just went insane and tried to steal from his-own apartment. It's not too big of a deal. Mom's always partying till hours in the morning that even I don't know too often. I think she's dating my best-friend's dad right now. My best-friend in New York that is. His name is Donavon. His dad's a bit of a player, just like my mom. I think they've gone out and broken up again six different times. They won't be going out for long though. I'll make sure that my mom doesn't end up marrying Donavon's dad. I wouldn't want to be Donavon's step sister. No way! That would be too weird. I haven't seen Donavon in ages anyway. I probably won't ever see him again, since I'll be living here from now on. My parents wouldn't care, just like I said."  
  
"Oh. My original career idea was to be the Minister of Magic, which I'm sure I could pull off. Lately though, I think that I've wanted to be the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts, more than anything, really." Hermione was thinking about everything that had been going on with Harry and Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, Lupin, the whole crew. It was then that she realized how important Hogwarts was to her, and she really wanted to live on with the school.  
  
"That sounds like fun. You sure do dream big Hermione. The Minister of Magic!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I must admit that the role is a hard one. Everyone wanted Dumbledore for the job, but he's getting old right now. So is Cornelius Fudge. I'd like to take over his post. But if that isn't going to work, then I'd want to teach Transfiguration like Professor McGonagall. Transfiguration is definitely my favorite subject. I thought you'd want to go join Ron's brother's and run a Joke Shop or something."  
  
"Ron has brothers?"  
  
"More than you'd want to believe. You already know about Ginny. Then he's got two twin brothers, and three others after that."  
  
"Wow! That's a lot compared to me!"  
  
"Yeah. I've known most of Ron's family forever."  
  
"He's so sweet! I'm going to get him something awesome for Christmas. What are you getting Harry?"  
  
Hermione gasped. She hadn't even thought about it. Christmas was coming up pretty quick. She always got him something silly, but this year she just HAD to get him something good.  
  
"I don't know! I have to get him something nice! Well, I got him something awesome once, yeah, that brook servicing kit. But what can I get him this time? Oh no!"  
  
"Don't worry. Why don't you give him earrings?"  
  
"Cassi! Harry doesn't have his ears pierced, thank goodness for that."  
  
"Does Ron?"  
  
"No way!"  
  
"That can't be good. Well, I've got to think of something new to get him now."  
  
"I know what I'm getting Ron, as he isn't my boyfriend or anything. I'll get him a large supply of Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. I'll throw in Mince Pies and Cockroach Clusters. Whatever I feel like adding. I guess I could get a picture taken of myself and Harry, and then – I've got it! I'll buy a really nice frame and give it to him!"  
  
"Sounds like a great idea. Mind if I use it too?"  
  
"Well, don't you think they'd like it if we did different things Cassi?"  
  
"Good point."  
  
And then – "I know what I'll get Ron! A broom servicing kit. You've already given Harry one. Then I'll give him tons of stuff from Honeydukes and bottles of Butter Beer from the Three Broom Sticks!"  
  
"Good plan. Don't tell them though!" Hermione stood up.  
  
"Now I need to get changed," Hermione said.  
  
"So do I," Cassandra agreed.  
  
They both slipped on blue jean shorts. Then Cassandra put a baby blue shirt on. There was a silvery star to one side, and to another it said Old Navy Trademark.   
  
Hermione put on a Tommy shirt that had four small pictures across her chest, and then under it, Tommy was written with lines under it. They both put on Doc Martens, and left the room.   



	11. Wizard Chess

Chapter Eleven: Wizard Chess  
  
Ginny was sitting on a fluffy chair, right next to Seamus Finnigan, and Ron Weasley was completely out of their sight.  
  
"Yes!" Ginny told herself excitedly.  
  
Finally she could spend some time with the seventh year hottie, without having her brother tell her off.  
  
Maybe if Ron had a girl that he really would like, he wouldn't mind as much.  
  
Ginny thought to herself. She didn't know that Cassandra and Ron were a couple now.  
  
Seamus grabbed Ginny's hand and moved her over to him so they would be quite cozy in one chair. They didn't talk very much, but Ginny kept her head towards the back of the chair and tilted to where it rested peacefully on Seamus' shoulder.  
  
Seamus put his arm around her and kissed her forehead – but his timing was horrible. Ron came waltzing into the Common Room that very second.  
  
Ginny put her head in her arms and tried to hide herself. Seamus and Ginny – both – were waiting for Ron to start yelling at them.  
  
"Having fun?" he simply asked.  
  
Ginny's eyes bulged out and she exchanged shocked glances with Seamus.  
  
"Was that a trick question?" she asked stupidly.  
  
"Good, good. Glad, I'm so happy for you," Ron said.  
  
Then he walked into his dorm.  
  
"What just happened?" Seamus asked.  
  
"I have no idea, but as long as it isn't bugging him..." Ginny trailed off.  
  
Seamus got the point. He kissed her again.  
  
Hermione and Cassandra had just entered the room and saw everything.  
  
"Wow! That was amazing!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, it's almost as if Ron finally found a girl friend," Ginny replied in awe.  
  
"He did," Hermione told her.  
  
"Really? Who?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Me," Cassandra said simply.  
  
"Wow! Well, good luck. And stay with him. I like it like this!" Ginny exclaimed, sending Cassandra and Hermione into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Are they okay?" Seamus asked unsure of what to do next.  
  
"Yeah, they're fine," Ginny replied laughing.  
  
Suddenly McGonagall burst into their room.  
  
"They're here! They're already here. Both schools showed up early, and we never got to – OH NO! Get in the Great Hall NOW!" she exclaimed.  
  
The Gryffindor students quickly rushed forward. They formed straight lines and walked into the Great Hall with their hair out of their faces, teeth brushed, good breath, gum spat out, and shoes tied. Their robes were tied neatly with only their shirts showing, and that was just hardly.  
  
They entered the Great Hall and took their seats at the table.  
  
"I wondered what they traveled in this time," Cassandra whispered to Hermione who smiled.  
  
Hermione had told Cassandra EVERYTHING about the Triwizard Tournament, including how the schools got here.  
  
"We'll see in a bit. Whatever it is, it's big enough to see once we get outside," Hermione replied.  
  
Dumbledore was sitting at the top with Madame Maxine and a man. The man was very tiny and frail. He reminded Harry of Professor Quirrel. The size anyway. This peculiar man sitting next to Dumbledore had a cap of blond and gray hair. He had beady gray eyes hiding behind a large nose. Underneath that he had thin lips. His ears looked something like an elfs, large and pointy. He was wearing a midnight blue robe made of wool, and he had dragon hide boots on.  
  
On the other side of Dumbledore, a giant of a women was wearing heavy opals all around her neck and a long satin pink dress with a flamingo pink robe. Around her neck was a pink feathered shawl and her hair was done in a high bun with tresses falling down by her ears. This was Madame Maxine.  
  
Next to Madame Maxine was a beautiful girl with long golden tresses. She was wearing a silvery blue robe and a lot of jewelry. That was Fleur Delacour.  
  
One the tiny man's other side was a tall moody looking guy. Everyone instantly recognized him as Viktor Krum, an extremely talented Quidditch player for the Bulgarian team. He was a Seeker, just like Harry, and many loved Krum, although his appearance wasn't all too showy.  
  
"Welcome, welcome! Welcome everyone, mostly our wonderful guests. I'd like to welcome everyone to the Triwizard Tournament, once again being hosted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I trust that you will find your stay here quite comfortable and enjoyable. Mr. Crouch was unable to attend – for reasons – and neither was former Headmaster Karkaroff from Durmstrang. Our new Magical Cooperation head will be arriving shortly. In the meantime, I'd like to introduce the two headmasters sitting beside me. Might I introduce you to Madame Maxine, many of you remember her, I'm sure – and her former student, Fleur Delacour. Fleur Delacour competed in the Triwizard Tournament, the last time it took place and she finished fourth."  
  
Madame Maxine stood up and waved her hand around. Fleur stood up and batted her eyes rapidly. They both took their seats again and waited for Dumbledore to continue.  
  
"To the other side of me, I'd like to welcome a new face. This is Headmaster Timid. Next to him is another Triwizard former Champion. Welcome Viktor Krum! He finished third!"  
  
A wild applause broke out and millions of girls started screaming crazily. Obviously it was not for Headmaster Timid, but indeed for Viktor Krum. Both males stood without much extravagance and took their places again.  
  
Finally the applause went down so Dumbledore could continue again.  
  
"Students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons can enter their names into the Goblet of Fire, the drawing will be tomorrow..."  
  
Then Dumbledore broke off into explaining all about the Triwizard Tournament, rules, regulations, and of course the age limit.  
  
  
  
  
  
"That was so boring," Harry said.  
  
"Well of course it was for us. The others need to hear the rules though," Hermione told him.  
  
"I can't wait until the drawing. What are you going to do with the money Harry?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"I haven't even been picked as the Champion, or even won! I don't need that much pressure," Harry said, feeling a bit excited and overwhelmed.  
  
"Okay, sure, whatever. We know who's going to be picked as the Champion!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah. Want to go to Hogsmeade?" Ron asked.  
  
"Oh yes! Let's go!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Okay, but lets go back to our dorms so I can grab my cloak first," Hermione insisted.  
  
They hurried to their dorms, and secured cloaks around their necks, then snuck out for the Hogsmeade train.  
  
"Where do you want to go first?" Hermione asked as soon as they landed in Hogsmeade.  
  
"The Three Broomsticks!" Ron and Harry exclaimed together.  
  
"Okay, okay," Hermione agreed.  
  
They went quickly over to Madam Rosmerta's joint and took seats.  
  
"I can go order," Ron said queasily.  
  
"Don't take too long Ron..." Cassandra trailed off.  
  
Ron turned crimson and went to go order four Butter Beers.  
  
Hermione looked at Cassandra quizzically.  
  
"Well, Madam Rosmerta is pretty well built, and I don't want Ron gaping while my Butter Beer gets cold," Cassandra defended.  
  
Harry spit out his gum and began to laugh hysterically and Hermione started giggling uncontrollably.   
  
"WHAT is so funny?" Cassandra asked with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Nothing, nothing..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Okay, whatever," Cassandra said with a grin meeting her eyes.  
  
"I'm back," Ron said showing up with four bubbling Butter Beers.  
  
"Great!" the other three exclaimed.  
  
Ron sat down next to Cassandra in the booth. On the other side, Hermione scooted closer to Harry. They sipped warm Butter Beer silently for a while. Ron looked a bit troubled, he kept rubbing his forehead.  
  
"What's wrong Ron?" Hermione asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.  
  
"Something's the matter. I can tell," Hermione replied. "So, what's wrong?"  
  
"Oh nothing really. Percy is having his wedding over Christmas Break, that's all," Ron muttered.  
  
"Percy's getting married!" Hermione screeched.  
  
"Wow! Somebody likes him?" Harry asked.  
  
"A wedding! Cool!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, he's getting married. I know, wow. I can't believe someone likes him either, but it's Penelope Clearwater. A wedding, hardly my idea of cool, but okay," Ron replied quickly.  
  
"Penelope?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah. I can't believe it either," Ron admitted.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I found out before we left for Hogsmeade. There was an owl on my bed."  
  
"Well, tell Percy that I'm happy for him," Hermione said.  
  
"Oh. You guys can come to the wedding if you want. Mom would be glad to have you guys. I know she hasn't seen you all in a long time. I don't think Mom will mind if I tell her that you're coming too Cassandra. You could share rooms with Hermione and Ginny."  
  
"Ginny? That little sweety? I wouldn't mind one bit. Thanks so much for inviting me! You are super! Can't wait for the wedding!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"It's getting late you guys. Why don't we go back, before we're caught," Hermione suggested.  
  
"Fine. My treat," Harry said.  
  
He paid Madam Rosmerta and then left with the group.  
  
Back in Common Room Ginny was playing Wizard Chess with Cassandra.  
  
"My God Cassi. You are good!" Ginny exclaimed as she twirled her hair trying to decide which move to make next.  
  
"So are you. I've just got skill..." she trailed off.  
  
"Yeah right," Hermione said who was watching from a pillow next to them.  
  
Cassandra stuck her tongue out at Hermione who just rolled her eyes and watched Ginny take Cassandra's Knight with her Bishop.  
  
"Good move, but I don't think you saw my Queen. Check mate!" Cassandra squealed happily.  
  
"What? Not fair!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"You could make a lot of money playing Chess Cassi. You could start your own..." Hermione started to say.  
  
Cassandra quickly cut her off.  
  
"Great idea Granger. I'll start making bets with people in Common Room. If I win I'd make a bunch of money!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Wait. That's not what I had in – never mind," Hermione mumbled.  
  
She watched Cassandra climb on to a chair and say loudly, "Anyone who knows how to play Chess can come up here and challenge me to a game. I'll be taking bets!"  
  
Parvati arched an eyebrow up. She walked forward and let Cassandra get off the chair.  
  
"I'll be a taker. Let's play," she muttered.  
  
"Fine, why not?" Cassandra asked.  
  
She pulled her bag from the ground and dropped two galleons down on the table that the board was perched on. Parvati took ten Galleons out of her bag.  
  
"Oh, ten?" Cassandra asked cocking her head to a side. "I didn't know you played in the big league."  
  
She placed more Galleons on the table.  
  
She gave Parvati a smile of satisfaction.  
  
"Cassandra, if you get found out, we'll get in so much trouble!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"I can fix that," Cassandra said. She looked up and saw everyone hovering around the Chess match. "Is anyone going to squeal?" she asked.  
  
There was a loud murmur of, "No way!" and, "Not in this life!"  
  
"Problem solved," Cassandra said arching her eyebrow like Parvati.  
  
"Ready?" Cassandra asked Parvati.  
  
"I know I am, I'm just worried about you," Parvati replied sneering.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm as ready as can be."  
  
Cassandra made the first move.  
  
Parvati 'tutted' with her tongue.  
  
She made the same move with her set of black pieces.  
  
Cassandra moved her Knight to the center of the Chess Set, then her Bishop right after Parvati took a Pawn out. They made a few more moves, and then Cassandra cornered Parvati's King into a hole. Suddenly Parvati took Cassandra's Queen!  
  
"Oh, you're good Patil. Just – not good enough. Check Mate," Cassandra said with satisfaction.  
  
She took her second Bishop and moved it across the board to put the King in check, but so it could move nowhere else.  
  
Cassandra stuck her hand out for Parvati to shake it.  
  
Parvati didn't move a muscle.  
  
"Don't be a spoiled sport Patil. Let's shake, that's how they play – in the Muggle world at least."  
  
Parvati shook quickly and pushed her money into Cassandra's bag.  
  
"Any other takers?" Cassandra asked, swinging her bag around.  
  
"I think I'll give it a try," Lavender said coming out of the shadows.  
  
"Really Brown? I didn't know you had skill," Cassandra said looking deviously at Lavender.  
  
"Try me," Lavender replied sharply.  
  
"Okay, what's it going to be? What are you going to place?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"How about fifty?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Sickles?" Cassandra asked, hiding a smile.  
  
"Not in your life. I'm talking Galleons," Lavender said, spilling out fifty shining Galleons.  
  
"Wow! Mommy doesn't see what a big girl her Lavender is," Cassandra said.  
  
She poured fifty of her Galleons on to the table.  
  
"Oh yes, touch move," she added.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Don't tell me you haven't heard of the simple term, touch move? It's when if you a touch a piece, you have to move it, unless you don't want to play like a big girl..."  
  
"Oh believe me, I want to play like a big girl," Lavender said, sneering.  
  
"Great."  
  
Cassandra let Lavender play white and take the opening move. She quickly shifted it around and Lavender made a silly move and Cassandra was moves ahead of her. Lavender sacrificed pieces to Castle. She quickly cornered her King. Cassandra took the Rook next to the King with her Queen. She placed her Bishop in a place where the King couldn't capture the Queen or he'd make an illegal move. He couldn't move anywhere else because all his pawns were blocking him towards any legal move. Lavender looked down.  
  
She shook hands with Cassandra and stalked off to Parvati. Cassandra stood up again. She waved her hand around.  
  
"Anyone else?" she asked.  
  
Ron came forward.  
  
"Hey boyfriend," Cassandra said smiling.  
  
"Let's play," Ron said.  
  
Ron took thirty Galleons out of his bag. He wouldn't do this unless he was absolutely confident that he would win. He knew he wasn't Prince Moneybags.  
  
Cassandra counted thirty galleons out of her coins.  
  
Ron made quick moves. He sacrificed a few pieces in order to keep center structure. Cassandra even thought she was winning, until she heard words that she never thought would be spoken to her.  
  
"Check mate," Ron said swiftly.  
  
Cassandra hung her head. "Good game boyfriend," she said softly.  
  
She forked over the thirty Galleons.  
  
Harry slapped Ron on the back.  
  
"Awesome man!" he exclaimed.  
  
Ron just made thirty Galleons in two minutes. He had a huge grin on his face, all over his face. It even reached his eyes. His eyes were sparkling and laughing at the same time.  
  
"I think I'm tired," Cassandra said yawning.  
  
"I'm not surprised. It's two in the morning," Hermione said folding her arms. "Let's go!"  
  
"Come on everybody," she continued. "Do you know what time it is? McGonagall's going to be after me if you guys stay up so late!"  
  
Cassandra kissed Ron on the forehead and skipped off. Ron went up to bed. Before she knew it, Hermione and Harry were the only people left in the common room. Except for Marcus Longbottom, "Get up there!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Hermione slowly walked into her dorm, but before she entered, she heard Harry whisper, "Sweet dreams."  



	12. The Champions

Chapter Twelve: The Champions  
  
Hermione woke up before anyone else. She went to the common room, something pulled her towards the common room. She put on her robe and walked into the common room quietly.  
  
She saw a figure in one of the chairs. All she could make out was black hair. A smile reached her eyes, at once she knew that Harry was sitting in his robe, worrying about the Tournament.  
  
"Well Harry, you're up early," she whispered.  
  
Harry turned around and smiled.  
  
"Yeah. I'm thinking about the Tournament. I want to compete, but you know... It feels weird. I'll probably be the only person to compete in it twice. Well not anymore since they'll be doing it every year now, but still... It's just weird, you know what I mean?"  
  
"Yes. Of course I do. Just stop worrying about it. You've already put your parchment in the Goblet. Now all we have to do is wait for Dumbledore to announce the names."  
  
"Come here Hermione. Sit down," Harry urged.  
  
"Harry, I'm worried about something else."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know what I'm talking about."  
  
"Do we have to?"  
  
"Yes. Stop acting like a baby. We haven't been talking about it for ages."  
  
"Well, at least don't call it, it."  
  
"Okay. We know Voldemort's coming back into power. He's killed millions of people and that his target is you. We also know that if you don't stop him, that he could take over the world. You might die when you defeat him, if you defeat him at all, but it doesn't matter because everyone else will be free from Lord Puke-a-mort. Well, if you're going to have to go against him, then I'll go with you."  
  
"Don't be crazy Hermione. You can't go with me. I'll be a Dark Arts monster by the time I'm ready to go fight."  
  
"Dumbledore knows a bunch of Dark Arts, doesn't he? That didn't make him turn into a Dark Arts monster. I'm having horrible visions of Dark Arts monsters, and I can't picture you like that."  
  
"Well, you'll see the real thing in a few days."  
  
"Now you're being crazy. I'm going with you, okay? There is no way you're going to wherever you're going to have to go without someone to take care of you."  
  
"Hermione, wouldn't it be amazing if I was just some normal wizard? Wouldn't it be great if someone else was in my place, and we met, and we got out of Hogwarts and took up good jobs and..."  
  
"This is no time to be fantasyizing. Harry, don't you see how serious this is?"  
  
"Get off of it Hermione. You of all people should know that I know that this is serious. That doesn't mean that I can make it go away for a while."  
  
"Till when? Till Dark Arts takes over our world and kills us all, not to mention all Muggles?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Well, I know that I'm not going to let that happen. There are two things I care about. House elf rights, and you. And if you're going to be almost killed and go to a dangerous place and fight Voldemort – well, I'll go with you."  
  
"It's too dangerous."  
  
"Dangerous for me, but not for you. Don't you think you're being a bit prejudice? Dangerous for weak little Hermione who's all books and learning, but not for Quidditch Captain and Mr. I Defeated the Dark Lord When I Was a Baby?"  
  
"That's not what I'm saying."  
  
"Then what are you saying?" Hermione cried miserably.  
  
"Quiet! You'll wake everyone up."  
  
"All right, I'm sorry. I just can't help it. All I want to do is help you," Hermione cried.  
  
Tears burst into her eyes and she finally sat down.  
  
"Come here," Harry said.  
  
She reluctantly fell down in his lap.  
  
"It's okay. Stop crying."  
  
"Wow! You sure are sensitive."  
  
"Aren't I though? There's nothing we can do Hermione. Don't make me start crying."  
  
"Okay, well... Let's see who Dumbledore picks then, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"We got nowhere."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"Harry. Shut up!"  
  
And then Harry kissed her.  
  
Everyone was seated in the Great Hall. Hermione, Cassandra, Harry, and Ron were all sitting together. They seemed relaxed, they all thought that Harry was going to win, but there was the smallest chance that he wouldn't – what if he didn't?  
  
Dumbledore silenced everyone with a wave of his hands and began to speak.  
  
"Now everyone, the Goblet of Fire is ready to announce the Champions. I'll call out the names. Now, when a champions' name is called, I would ask him or her please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber. Here they will be receiving their first directions," he said.  
  
The Goblet of Fire bubbled and shook every second. It started getting louder and louder. Mr. Bagman looked eagerly at the Goblet. He rubbed his hands together. Talking arose and everyone began to whisper loudly to each other.  
  
Dumbledore silenced everyone again with a larger wave of his hands. All the whispering stopped. Hermione slapped Cassandra hard to stop her from fidgeting. Then...  
  
Dumbledore took the first piece of parchment that came floating out of the Goblet of Fire and read it.  
  
"The Champion from Beauxbatons is Marci Deserei!" he shouted.  
  
A delicate female with long, long, long, curly golden blond hair stood up. She had clear purple eyes. It was not the work of contacts. They were crystal purple. Her face was powdered and she had purple eye shadow on. There was glitter by her eyes and she looked very done up. Her hair was floating loose under her silvery purple cloak. She walked to High Table and entered the same door Harry walked through years ago.  
  
Dumbledore took the second piece of parchment that came floating out of the Goblet of Fire and read it.  
  
"The Champion from Durmstrang is Nigel Bastelle!" he shouted.  
  
A dark featured male walked into the door. He had thick eyebrows and a sharp chin.  
  
Dumbledore took the third piece of parchment that came floating out of the Goblet of Fire and read it.  
  
"The Champion from Hogwarts is Harry Potter!" he boomed.  
  
Hermione screamed and linked hands with Cassandra who screamed as well. There was a loud applause and many boos coming from the Slytherin side.  
  
Harry walked forward. He went through the door happily.  
  
Then the Goblet of Fire started bubbling loudly and fiercly. It popped out another piece of parchment. The loud crowd went silent. Even the Slytherin table stopped booing.  
  
"It seems that – once again – Hogwarts has two students competing, although – I can't imagine why. Well, the fourth student to compete is Draco Malfoy," Dumbledore mumbled quizzically.  
  
Draco stood up quickly. He stuck his chest out and began walking around acting like a king. He walked through the door.  
  
"What are you doing here Malfoy?" Harry asked as soon as he saw him in there.  
  
"I got picked," he said nastily.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I got picked. Right after you got called up."  
  
"Why would the Goblet of Fire pick scum like you? Did you put your name under a different school?"  
  
"No I didn't. You don't need to be such an idiot. I think the Goblet saw a lot of good things in me."  
  
"The only thing it would see in you is power, that's all. It's all bad power anyway. Maybe it saw that your father's a Death Eater or something, who knows."  
  
"Just because I got picked doesn't mean you don't have to keep your mouth shut. Dumbledore let me come up here, okay? So, just shut up!"  
  
"Make me."  
  
"If I wasn't in this room right now, and if I wasn't the school Champion –"  
  
"You're not the Champion. There are two of us, for now at least."  
  
"Yeah, when they have to pick between the two of us, you'll be thrown out."  
  
"You idiot. They're probably going to have both of us competing."  
  
"And then I'll win."  
  
"Not in my life."  
  
"I guess we'll just see, won't we?"  
  
"Yeah, we'll see you lose."  
  
"As soon as we get out of this dumb school, I'm going to make sure you regret everything you've ever said to me."  
  
"Your threats are about as empty as your brain. Just shut up."  
  
"Just because you're Harry Potter, you think you're all special."  
  
"I'm more than you'll ever me."  
  
Draco never got to say anything. Dumbledore walked in, along with Madame Maxine and Headmaster Timid.  
  
Dumbledore quickly asked Draco the questions that he had asked Harry in his fourth year. Madame Maxine's face was suddenly looking like a prune.  
  
"Well, I guess Hogwarts will have two Champions," Dumbledore finally said.  
  
"What are you saying Dumbly-dore? Again? Tell me Dumbly-dore, why is it that ze Hogwarts must always have ze two contestants? Did I not read ze rules properly or zomething?" Madame Maxine asked.  
  
"I don't know what happened. Apparently the Goblet of Fire thought that they were equally talented," Mr. Bagman said coming in to the room.  
  
Harry and Draco glared at each other. Equal talent? Ha!  
  
Mr. Bagman and Dumbledore calmly explained all the rules to them.  
  
"Now. The first task will be in one week. We need to hurry things up, so that the second task is completed before Christmas. We also want to have the Yule Ball before Christmas break. So, the important this is that you get your rest. Preparations will start tomorrow. You may leave."  
  
Madame Maxine walked over to Dumbledore with wrinkles in her forehead.  
  
"Dumbly-dore, what iz ze meaning of zis? Are you going to let both ze students partizipate?" she asked haughtily.  
  
"Madame Maxine, it's out of my hands. The Goblet picked both the names, so I'm afraid this is how it will be," Dumbledore said strongly.  
  
"Very well Dumbly-dore," she said.  
  
"Come Marci, come," she called.  
  
The beautiful girl left her seat and walked out of the room with Madame Maxine.  
  
"Timid, you've been awfully quiet. Is anything bothering you? Are you okay with this?" Dumbledore asked after Madame Maxine left.  
  
"Oh yes – I'm perfect okay – sure. Um, Nigel – you can come back to the ship with me," Headmaster Timid said, leaving the room with Nigel.  
  
Harry made a mental note to tell Hermione and Cassandra that the students from Durmstrang had indeed come in the same ship.  
  
"You two are dismissed," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry and Draco walked out together, but in silence – up until they entered the Great Hall.  
  
"You thought they were going to keep you and throw me out, I bet!" Draco shouted.  
  
"What are you talking about? I'm not as big headed as you are."  
  
"Of course. Scar head is so much better than Draco, isn't that what everyone says..."  
  
"Why don't you go bug someone else," Harry said.  
  
He walked off before Draco would retaliate.  
  
Hermione stood up the minute Harry reached their table. Cassandra and Ron followed as Hermione ran towards Harry.  
  
"What? Can you believe it? Are they letting him enter?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah. I guess it's better this way. I get to prove to Draco, once and for all, that I'm better than he is."  
  
"I know you'll do awesome Harry," Cassandra said cheering him up.  
  
"Yeah Harry. You'll do okay," Ron agreed.  
  
"Well of course you will. Harry, you'll do just fine," Hermione insisted.  
  
"Right, right. I've got a week to worry about it, let's go," Harry said.  
  
"Just wait. Didn't they ask Draco if he rigged it or anything?" Ron asked suddenly.  
  
"No. Dumbledore didn't bother. I guess he just didn't want to go through the trouble," Harry replied.  
  
"Okay, whatever," Hermione said playing with Harry's hair.  
  
"Aren't you excited?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Yeah, can't wait!" Harry said, mimicking a three year old excited for ice cream.  
  
"Oh you!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Me, okay, let's go to common room. I'm STARVED, and I know I've got some Chocolate Frogs stashed somewhere up in the dorms," Harry said.  
  
"Wouldn't they be all melted and gross by now?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Probably," Harry replied.  
  
"Oh, great," Hermione said.  
  
"Yes, they taste so much better that way," Harry said.  
  
"Yuck!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Everyone started laughing, and they walked back to Common Room.  



	13. Dinner For Two

Chapter Thirteen: Dinner For Two  
  
Monday morning was Double Potions.  
  
Cassandra groaned as she slid into her seat and opened her bag.  
  
Professor Snape entered the room with a foul look on his face. He looked like he had just smelt a bowl full of tuna.  
  
"Sit down!" he barked at Seamus Finnigan who came in right after Snape walked through the door.  
  
"Sorry," Seamus mumbled before sliding into his chair behind Ron.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes and folded her arms, waiting for Snape to start a boring lecture.  
  
"Today we will make a Swelling Solution. Then I will take one of your solutions and try it on Neville's toad. If you have made it correctly, then Neville's toad will be able to go back to its normal size after I pour the antidote on it. If you have made it incorrectly, chances are that Neville's toad will be as plump as Neville himself. I will choose whose solution I use once we get into the Dungeon. Follow me – now!" he shouted.  
  
The class grabbed their pewter cauldrons and followed Snape into a moderately sized dungeon. Cassandra set up her station with Hermione. Ron and Harry took their seats across the table and set their stuff out.  
  
"You may begin!" Snape barked.  
  
They began working.  
  
"What a creep!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
She tossed her hair and started looking at the needed ingredients.  
  
"Yeah, well give me that list. I'll go to the cupboard and get the ingredients we need," Hermione mumbled.  
  
"Could you get ours too?" Harry asked.  
  
"Sure," Hermione replied.  
  
Hermione grabbed the parchment and strolled off to the cupboards.  
  
"I mean, no one has ever stood up to Snape. I think someone should," Cassandra continued.  
  
"If anyone ever does it will be you Cassandra," Ron said quickly. Snape was heading their way.  
  
He reached their table and started yelling at them.  
  
"Why aren't you working?" he demanded.  
  
"Hermione's getting our ingredients," Harry mumbled.  
  
"Oh... Is Prince Potter too weak to get the ingredients himself, or is he just resting himself before the First Task?" he asked sneering.  
  
"Neither. Hermione's getting them because she's nice. Here she is now. We better get to work on our Swelling Solution now. Oh, please don't bother us, I wouldn't want to get my solution all over you now would I?" Harry said sharply.  
  
"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Potter. Watch your tongue. Next volunteered comment I hear from you will get you detention for the rest of the week," Snape said before shifting off to bully Neville.  
  
Hermione placed all the ingredients on the table and split them up in half, giving one half to Harry and Ron.  
  
"Okay Cassandra. You slice up the leeches while I grind the clovers," Hermione instructed.  
  
Cassandra grabbed the leeches and took a knife out of her cauldron. Then she pulled all her stuff out of the cauldron and finished slicing the leeches. She threw them into the cauldron and waited for Hermione to give her next order.  
  
"You've got ten minutes left!" Snape bellowed. "I'll be using Neville's solution at the end of the class."  
  
"Figures. He always uses Neville's this and Neville's that. He knows that Neville has the greatest chance of messing up," Ron muttered.  
  
"I don't think Neville has that much to worry about. Seamus and Dean are helping him out. They're seated at the same table," Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Yeah. Let's just hope that Trevor the Toad doesn't swell up like a balloon and stay that way," Ron said.  
  
"What have we got next?" Harry asked suddenly.  
  
"Divination," Cassandra supplied.  
  
"I've got Arithmancy," Hermione said smiling.  
  
"Lucky you," Ron replied.  
  
"Divination, great," Harry groaned. "What's Trelawney going to say this time?"  
  
"She'll probably predict that you're dying," Hermione said.  
  
"You must be kidding! That's a new one. She's only said it about – every day," Harry replied.  
  
"Yeah. I can see it now. 'Harry, you'll die soon,' she'll say. That's just a little bit old. Maybe if she didn't say it so much, we would think it scary every now and then," Ron muttered.  
  
"Silence! I will take Neville's solution now and use it on his toad. Gather around class, and we'll see if Neville failed," Snape said snorting.  
  
His hair was looking especially greasy today. The morbid smell of the Swelling Solutions filled the dungeon and Cassandra was fanning the air she was breathing.  
  
Professor Snape took Neville's toad and grabbed it in front of Neville's cauldron. He took an eyedropper and squeezed some of the solution from the cauldron and squeezed it onto Trevor's warty skin.  
  
At once Trevor swelled up and his beady eyes were inside his skin that looked like a balloon. Snape took another eyedropper and squeezed the antidote onto Neville's toad. Almost at once, Trevor shrunk back to his normal size and all the Gryffindor students let go of their breath.  
  
"As you can see, Neville has somehow made a proper Swelling Solution. The toad inflated and then with the antidote, deflated. Seamus and Dean have both helped Neville obviously. That's ten points away from Gryffindor."  
  
"What?" Seamus cried.  
  
Dean shrugged.  
  
"That was the most unfair thing!" Cassandra exclaimed as they exited the dungeon with all their stuff.  
  
"Yeah? Well, it's not new. Snape's a pretty unfair person," Ron replied slamming the door shut.  
  
"Well, I've got to go. Professor Vector isn't the nicest person if you're late!" Hermione exclaimed running off.  
  
"I don't think Professor Trelawney would care less. She'd just look at me all sad and tell me I'm about to die," Harry muttered.  
  
"Oh come on! Divination's fun!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Which planet is she from?" Ron asked.  
  
"I have no clue," Harry replied shaking his head.  
  
They walked into Professor Trelawney's classroom and put their stuff down.  
  
"I'd like you to create charts of the planets today. Write down all your predictions and have it finished by the end of this class," Professor Trelawney said waving her hand in the air dreamily.  
  
"This'll be fun!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, really?" Ron asked arching an eyebrow.  
  
Cassandra began humming to herself.  
  
"Tonight Harry's going to do something that he isn't supposed to do..." Cassandra trailed off filling in her chart. "Because Neptune will become aligned with Venus..."  
  
Harry looked at Cassandra for two seconds with a strange expression on his face.  
  
"What are you majoring in Cassandra?" Harry asked.  
  
"Divination, although Charms is pretty fun!" Cassandra said happily. "Ron's going to do his Transfiguration homework during Potions next week..."  
  
"Divination? Yuck!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, and what are you majoring in?" Cassandra asked, hands on hips.  
  
"History of Magic – only kidding Harry. I'm majoring in Transfiguration," Ron said.  
  
"I'm majoring in Defense against Dark Arts," Harry said.  
  
"Of course," Cassandra replied with a grin. "Ron's going to mess up his Potion in Double Potions next week also..."  
  
"Why do you make it that all the bad stuff happens to me?" Ron asked annoyed.  
  
"I'm not making it like that. That's just what I'm predicting," Cassandra replied.  
  
Ron exchanged glances with Harry.  
  
"Right," Ron said shaking his head.  
  
He went back to filling in his planet chart.  
  
Harry looked around the room and decided to work on his too.  
  
"How was Divination?" Hermione asked with a stack of flying Arithmancy papers.  
  
"It wasn't too bad. She looked at me a few times with those sad eyes and shook her head a bunch, but other than that, she was okay," Harry said, explaining about Trelawney.  
  
"Good, good. So do you have any homework?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Tons of it. I see you have some too," Ron said, gloating at the heavy stack of papers.  
  
"Oh, not at all. I've got some spare time so I offered to grade these papers for Professor Vector. He's also paying me five Galleons for it," Hermione replied triumphantly.  
  
"Five Galleons? Just to grade papers? Where's his class? I'm going to go see if he needs a hair cut or something. Too bad he isn't a girl. Then I could give him a great make-over or something," Cassandra said.  
  
"He's a middle aged man, good luck," Hermione said laughing.  
  
Cassandra ran off to find Professor Vector.  
  
"Cassandra was making pretty weird predictions in class today," Harry said.  
  
"Yeah, there was only one bad one about Harry. The rest were all about me," Ron said groaning.  
  
"Well, she is majoring in Divination. Who knows? She just might be correct," Hermione replied.  
  
Ron shrugged.  
  
"Cassandra better show up soon. Lunch is in the Great Hall in a few minutes," Ron said.  
  
Just then Cassandra came flying towards them.  
  
"I'm going to give Professor Vector an awesome hair cut. He's going to give me five Galleons too. He must have really needed those papers graded. He had wrinkles all over his forehead!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"It comes with aging. Soon you get wrinkles all over the place. But I'll admit that he's looking weaker than ever," Hermione confided sadly.  
  
"Can we go now? I'm starving!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Okay, fine," Cassandra said.  
  
They walked to the Great Hall and got amazingly large roast beef sandwiches and iced pumpkin juice.  
  
"That was good," Ron said.  
  
"Everything's good to you," Hermione said.  
  
Then she turned to Cassandra.  
  
"How do you eat so much Cassi?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't eat a lot. You just eat very little," Cassandra replied.  
  
"No thanks. If I ate as much as you did I'd be as big as a horse," Hermione admitted.  
  
"You're prettier than any horse," Harry said.  
  
"What a compliment," Hermione said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Okay, okay, what have we got next?" Ron asked impatiently.  
  
"Herbology with Hufflepuff," Hermione said.  
  
"And then we've got Advanced Defense Against Dark Arts with Lupin," Harry said.  
  
"Is it just me or do we only remember the classes we want to remember?" Ron asked.  
  
"Probably. That's why you never remember anything," Hermione replied.  
  
"I'm going to pretend you never said that," Ron said.  
  
"Go ahead. Pretend, even though I think you're a bit young for that," Hermione said.  
  
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that either," Ron said.  
  
"Stop arguing. Don't worry, be happy!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Why are you always so perky?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I dunno. It takes skill," Cassandra said.  
  
"Let's go to Herbology," Harry said tugging the three of them out of the Great Hall.  
  
But in Herbology Harry got pulled out of class for the Weighing of the Wands.  
  
"Professor Sprout, Dumbledore asked me to get Harry – it's for the Weighing of the Wands," Dennis Creevy squeaked.  
  
"Very well. Harry, you may go," Professor Sprout said.  
  
Harry ran out of Greenhouse Three. He entered the room where Draco, Nigel Bastelle, and Marci Deseri were all sitting.  
  
"Come Harry. We have no time to waste," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
Harry looked up and gave a feeble smile. From the corner of his eye he saw Mr. Ollivander from Ollivander's Wands. Mr. Ollivander entered the room quickly. Mr. Bagman walked in behind him.  
  
"This is Mr. Ollivander. He's going to make sure your wands are all in prime condition for the three Tasks," he said straightening his hair with a wave of his left hand.  
  
"Thank you Mr. Bagman. Ah, let's see. This is a good wand," Mr. Ollivander said examining Nigel Bastelle's wand. "It's obviously very good for Charms," he continued.  
  
"Risumpta!" Ollivander chanted. Sparks of red light came out and suddenly the chair that Ollivander was to sit in, shrunk by two sizes.  
  
"Very well, it seems in order. Now, may I see your wand?" Ollivander asked to Marci Deseri.  
  
Marci took her wand that she held at her chest, and gave it to Mr. Ollivander.  
  
"Ah, a nice wand also. I did not sell this wand, but it's quite a good one. Let me make sure it's working all right now, eh?"  
  
He wove it around and shouted, "Alamatrez!"  
  
Suddenly a wave of purple light enlightened the whole room. Suddenly purple smoke covered the entire room and everyone was coughing.  
  
"Very much in order, thank you. Here you go," Ollivander said.  
  
"Merci," Marci replied clutching the wand again.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, you're next," Ollivander said.  
  
He grabbed Malfoy's wand and started looking at it.  
  
"Now this one was from my store, I remember it now. I remember every wand I make and sell. This one's very powerful. It liked you a lot, I can see," Ollivander mumbled as he ran his fingers around the wand.  
  
"Surumpta!" he shouted.  
  
A bouquet of flowers fell at Draco's feet. He sniggered.  
  
"Very much in order," Ollivander said straightening himself before checking Harry's wand.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Potter. Your wand? Ah, thank you. Yes, your wand had that phoenix feather whose brother feather was on the Dark Lord's wand..." Ollivander trailed off.  
  
"It's a very powerful wand," Ollivander decided.  
  
"Chalandabra!" Ollivander boomed.  
  
A large white spark of light errupted from the end of the wand and all the candles in the room were blown out. Quickly Ollivander shouted the counter curse and the candles were all lit at once.  
  
"Excellent. They are all in order!" Ollivander exclaimed.  
  
"Good, good. You all are dismissed," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry left before Malfoy could bother him. He ran to Herbology, which was packing up. He walked back to the common room with Ron, Cassandra, and Hermione. Then he let Cassandra take Ron away somewhere. He needed to talk to Hermione.  
  
Once Cassandra and Ron had finally left, he grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her into the hallway.  
  
"Hermione, go change, put something nice on," Harry urged.  
  
"What? I'm not wearing anything nice?" Hermione asked.  
  
"No, I mean, put that blue skirt on that you were wearing the night of the dance," Harry urged again.  
  
"What? Why?" Hermione asked laughing.  
  
"Just wearing something nice, I'll be waiting in the common room."  
  
Hermione looked hard at Harry and then went up to change. She came back in fifteen minutes.  
  
"What are we doing Harry?" she asked.  
  
"We're going to Hogsmeade."  
  
"In this? Are you kidding?"  
  
"We're going to a more upscale part of Hogsmeade."  
  
"Oh, really?"  
  
"Let's use the Maurader's Map, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
Hermione followed Harry until they finally reached the entrance of Hogsmeade. They walked in and Hermione followed Harry until they had walked for a long time.  
  
"What are we up to?"  
  
"Just a few more minutes, we're almost there."  
  
"Where is there?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Somewhere."  
  
Harry pulled Hermione's arm a bit further, and they finally stood in front of a decorated building. Harry walked inside and Hermione followed him curiously.  
  
The place turned out to be a restaurant. There were fancy waiters and waitresses standing around. A waiter greeted Hermione and Harry.  
  
"May I take your cloaks?" he asked.  
  
"It's okay," Harry mumbled.  
  
The waiter took them to a small table and let them decide what they would have to drink.  
  
"I see you are underage. What would you like?" the snotty waiter asked.  
  
"Do you have any pumpkin juice?" Harry asked.  
  
"No. This is a top quality restaurant. We serve the best wines. We don't carry pumpkin juice."  
  
"We'll just have water," Hermione said bewildered.  
  
"What are we doing here Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm taking you out on a date."  
  
"Oh really? I didn't bring that much money. How are we going to be able to pay? This place looks expensive."  
  
"I brought money. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Okay..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Great Wizards! Look over there. Professor McGonagall is having dinner with Snape!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Hide. Duck under your menu," Harry commanded.  
  
"We'll get in so much trouble!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"What's McGonagall doing with Snape?" Harry asked.  
  
"I have no clue. Great Wizards again! Professor Sprouts is hitting it off with Professor Filtwick!" Hermione exclaimed again.  
  
"That's funny," Harry replied.  
  
"Well, they do look sort of funny, but we really should be saying that about –"  
  
"What do you want to eat?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't mind," Hermione replied self-conciously.  
  
"I'll get a steak. Do you want to try a salmon fillet?" Harry asked.  
  
"Okay," Hermione replied.  
  
"Wouldn't it be amazing if I wasn't Harry Potter?" Harry asked suddenly.  
  
"Stop saying that Harry. I'm glad you're Harry Potter," Hermione insisted.  
  
Harry brushed those words away and started a new topic.  
  
"Lupin has given me an update on Voldemort. Apparently, he's hiding out in the forests of Romania. He's conquered most of Romania already. The aurors aren't doing anything, they're too afraid. Well, I guess Moody's staying here to protect us. I think I should do something about it," Harry said.  
  
"Well, yeah, you'll do something about it. But, don't you think you need to worry about the Tournament?" Hermione asked meekly.  
  
"No! Saving the world from Voldemort is more important than any tournament."  
  
"Right. So, what are you going to do?"  
  
"I don't know yet."  
  
They ate their food and left quickly.  
  
Hermione resumed conversation.  
  
"Would Lupin come with us?"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"You know... When we go searching for Voldemort?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't think so. He's so sick now. He looks so sick. Turning into a werewolf all the time doesn't help him either."  
  
"Okay. Have you heard from Sirius?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Not in a while. Actually, I haven't heard from him in a really long time. I wonder what he's up to," Harry said.  
  
"I hope he's okay. I really miss him," Hermione admitted.  
  
"You're not the only one. He's my only relation that I'm proud of," Harry said scowling.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. I wish I could see my parents again!"  
  
"Well, maybe you will."  
  
"Fat chance."  
  
"Good night," Hermione said when they reached the Common Room, which was pitch black.  
  
"'Night," Harry mumbled rubbing his forehead.  
  
Hermione knew Harry was up to something. The whole week he was acting strange, different, and confused. Friday night Professor McGonagall called Hermione to her office. Hermione went quickly and opened the door, only to find Lupin and Dumbledore standing beside McGonagall.  
  
"Professor Lupin! I haven't seen you in –"  
  
"Not now Hermione. My office was just broken into," McGonagall snapped.  
  
"I don't know anything. Honestly," Hermione muttered.  
  
"Surely you must some idea of who did this?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"No, not at all," Hermione insisted.  
  
"It was Harry," Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
His twinkling blue eyes had magnificently changed to being cold and gray.  
  
"Harry? How?" Hermione cried.  
  
"We have a good idea of what he's trying to do," Lupin added.  
  
"Which is?" Hermione asked looking hard at the three adults.  
  
"Harry took the Time Turner when he broke into Professor McGonagall's office. We think that he's trying to go back in time and stop his parents from dying. Or at least see what happened," Dumbledore explained.  
  
"Well, if you know all this, then why did you call me?" Hermione asked.  
  
"We want you go to go back to the scene of Harry's parent's death. We want you to stop him from changing the whole world, if he saves his parents, our life will be much different and dangerous things could happen," Lupin said.  
  
"How am I supposed to go back? Harry took the Time Turner," Hermione replied.  
  
"I've got one. I borrowed it from a friend. You'll just have to take good care of it," Dumbledore said pulling a Time Turner out of his robes.  
  
He laid it on Professor McGonagall's hard desk. It dropped with a thud.  
  
"Now, will you do it?" McGonagall asked.  
  
Hermione stared at the three adults. They were all looking back, silently. No one said a word. No one moved a muscle. Hermione didn't know how to break the silence. Hermione didn't know what to do.  



	14. Minerva McGonagall's Idea (Part One and ...

Chapter Fourteen: Minerva McGonagall's Idea (Part One)  
  
"Please Hermione?" McGonagall begged.  
  
"I don't – Um, let me..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Hermione. I don't want you feeling guilty when the entire course of the world has changed," Dumbledore said, managing a bit of twinkle with his eyes.  
  
"It wouldn't be my – okay," Hermione said.  
  
She hung her head. "Fine."  
  
McGonagall jumped up. She ran over to Hermione and gave her a large hug.  
  
Instantly she began speaking.  
  
"Now Hermione. We're transporting you to a town where someone I know very well lives. She'll be able to help you get directions to James and Lily Potter's house," McGonagall said.  
  
"Okay, I guess I'll go now..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
She began to turn the Time Turner over and over again. She was spinning through a warp zone, going faster and faster... then she stopped!  
  
Hermione landed in a dark village. She walked around for a few seconds and then she felt as if she was being pulled towards a house. Hermione pushed her hair behind her ears and took a deep breath.  
  
The sun was setting and the sky was shining beautiful colors on one side. Hermione quickly turned around to see gray clouds and dimness. She walked to the house and knocked on the door.  
  
A slim young adult opened the door. She was wearing glasses and had long black hair falling all over her shoulders. Her eyes were raven black and she was wearing a skirt and shirt matching out fit. Her cloak was swung around her neck and she had simple powder on her face. In a second, Hermione knew that it was a younger version of Minerva McGonagall.  
  
"Hello? Do I know you?" Minerva asked.  
  
"No, I'm afraid you don't. My name is Amanda Moore, but I think you might be able to help me," Hermione said carefully.  
  
She used the first name that came to mind.  
  
"Your friend wouldn't be the Dark Lord, would he?" Minerva asked sharply.  
  
"Oh, no. I think my friend is trying to stop the Dark Lord. I'm just afraid he will get killed," Hermione replied quickly.  
  
"Well, you may come in. We can go find your friend if you want," Minerva said cautiously.  
  
Hermione entered the three room house. The first room was Minerva's bed room. She had a dresser with different bottles of potions alligning it. Hermione wondered if Minerva was the Transfiguration teacher at the moment, or just helping Dumbledore around.  
  
Suddenly there was another loud knocking on the door.  
  
"Coming," Minerva called.  
  
She opened the door and Hermione saw a much younger version of – Remus Lupin.  
  
"Remus! What are you doing here?" Minerva asked sharply.  
  
Remus walked in and completely ignored Hermione.  
  
"Minnie, I –"  
  
"Don't call me that," Minerva snapped.  
  
Remus tried putting his arms around Minerva, but she pushed away.  
  
"Minnie, we're all nervous. We're all scared. We need to find Sirius. He's gone mad, I think. He was running around his house with his wand at the tips of his fingers. I told him to calm down. If Voldemort –"  
  
"Remus! Don't speak his name aloud!" Minerva exclaimed.  
  
"Why? So we can bring more fear to him? That's exactly what we don't need!" Remus exclaimed.  
  
Then he saw Hermione. It was the first time he really noticed her.  
  
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" he asked.  
  
"No, I don't think you do. My name's Amanda Moore. I'm looking for my friend," Hermione said.  
  
"Your friend wouldn't be Voldemort, would he?" Remus asked.  
  
Man, everyone sure is nervous about Voldemort. They think everyone's an enemy! Hermione thought.  
  
"No! He's trying to find You-Know-Who, and I think he's going to get himself killed. He's going to the old Potter house, and I know he's going to do something stupid. He's trying to kill Voldemort, but I need to stop him. I need someone to help me find him!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Well, come with me. We'll borrow Sirius' motorcycle. Wanna come Minnie?" Remus asked.  
  
"No, you go. I'll stay," Minerva said.  
  
"Let's go Amanda. Stay safe Minnie," Remus said.  
  
Then he grabbed Hermione's arm and brought her out into the darkened town.  
  
They walked for a while and then reached a young Sirius shining his motorcycle. He had a beautiful young girl behind him that Hermione didn't recognize.  
  
"Hurry up Rosie," Sirius said as the girl searched through her purse for something.  
  
Rosie... That sounded so familiar.  
  
"Rosmerta, eh? Isn't she a bit young for you?" Lupin asked clucking his tounge.  
  
"Isn't she a bit young for you?" Sirius asked gesturing to Hermione.  
  
"She's not mine. I'm taking her to James and Lily's house. She figures her friend might be there," Remus explained.  
  
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" Sirius asked sharply.  
  
"No," Hermione lied again.  
  
"Whatever," Sirius said.  
  
"We need to borrow your motorcycle," Remus said impatiently.  
  
"Then Rosie and I will just have to stay at home today," Sirius drawled.  
  
Rosmerta, as in Madam Rosmerta from the Three Broomsticks! Hermione suddenly remembered.  
  
"Thanks," Remus said.  
  
Remus and Hermione waved and rode off towards the Potter's house quickly.  
  
When they reached a cozy looking house, Remus let Hermione get off.  
  
"I hope you find your friend," Remus said.  
  
"Me too," Hermione replied.  
  
"Bye now. Watch out," Remus said.  
  
"Thanks. Bye," Hermione said.  
  
Remus rode off to return Sirius' bike to him. Hermione walked around the house, hoping to see Harry.  
  
"Why'd you come?" a voice asked behind Hermione.  
  
Hermione turned around and bumped noses with Harry.  
  
"They made me," Hermione replied hoarsly.  
  
"They – they are such idiots!" Harry exclaimed agitated.  
  
"No they aren't! Don't say that!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"Yes they are. They'll never let me out of their sight," Harry muttered.  
  
"You broke into McGonagall's office. You stole something. That's just wrong, you wouldn't expect them to be worried?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, why not? I bet the second it was stolen, they knew who to put the blame on," Harry mumbled.  
  
"Not like that. It was because – never mind. You're too big headed to understand," Hermione snapped.  
  
She turned around, but instantly faced Harry again.  
  
"I didn't mean that. Sorry, I'm stuck in the middle of you guys. I don't mind helping out – heaven knows that is what I want to do. I want to go fight Voldemort, yes, BUT I don't want to be in the middle of you guys. I like you all, okay?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Okay. It was a dumb idea to come anyway. I can't even see them. Stupid charm!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
Hermione remembered instantly that even putting her nose to the window wouldn't allow her to see Harry as a baby – or James and Lily Potter.  
  
"Then, come on, let's go back," Hermione urged.  
  
It took even more persuasion to convince Harry that the best thing to do was go back.  
  
She put her cloak over his shivering body and turned the Time Turner a few times up ahead, once again finding herself in McGonagall's office, except this time she was with Harry.  
  
"You made it!" Remus said.  
  
He wasn't exactly happy, but he was relieved.  
  
McGonagall's lip became instantly thin and she looked sharply at Harry.  
  
"What were you thinking Potter? Breaking in to my office is a crime! You do know that, don't you?" she asked pointedly.  
  
"Killing my parents is a crime but that didn't stop Voldemort!" Harry yelled.  
  
"I will not have you talk to me that way young man!" McGonagall insisted.  
  
"What does it matter? You'll let me die to save the world, but you won't let me talk to you the way I want to? What are my rights, huh?" Harry shouted.  
  
Hermione shifted to a side. She fell into a chair and closed her eyes. Hermione didn't feel like arguing. She didn't think it would help.  
  
"Your rights are to obey your teachers," McGonagall said.  
  
"My teachers? That's a laugh! My teachers, huh? My teachers that would rather have me die than live? Do you call yourself a teacher?" Harry shouted.  
  
"Mr. Potter! How dare you?" McGonagall shouted.  
  
"How dare you what? Do you think it's my fault Voldemort's Curse backfired? I don't even know how it happened. I don't even care really! I haven't told Hermione everything, but I do think she has a right to know. You're going to let me go find Voldemort. You want me to withdraw from Hogwarts! You want me –"  
  
"That's not true! We never said a word about withdrawing from Hogwarts!" McGonagall shouted.  
  
"But you don't object to making me find Voldemort, right?" Harry demanded.  
  
"Harry, do you realize that you're the only hope. We have faith that you won't be hurt too horribly."  
  
The conversation was strictly between McGonagall and Harry now. Dumbledore, Lupin, and Hermione had silently fallen to a side.  
  
"Faith didn't cut it for my parents, and it's not gonna cut it for me either!"  
  
"We're going to help you Harry. You just have to let us. We're not as self centered as you might think we are."  
  
"How are you going to help me? Tell me it's all going to be okay. I've seventeen, that isn't about to work!"  
  
"Oh come on Harry. Don't be stupid. Voldemort's looking for you. If you don't try fighting him now, he's probably going to kill you in the end. The way I look at it, you're having a favor done for you!"  
  
"I don't even care anymore! I'm leaving!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
He ran out the room, slamming the door shut.  
  
Hermione stood up quickly.  
  
"Hermione, we need you to do something," McGonagall said.  
  
"No, not now! I'm going to Harry. He needs me!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Then she ran out the door after him.  
  
Hermione looked down at the bracelet Harry gave her. She was toying with it. Since Harry had given it to her, since the moment Hermione had to ask Harry to that dance, she never took it off. She thought it looked different, just then. She thought it looked shinier, something. Her attention was being drawn to the bracelet as she kept toying with it. She started shivering.  
  
Suddenly Hermione took the bracelet off and put it near her heart for a second or two. The shivering stopped. She put it back on and found Harry shaking up in his room. He was sitting on his bed with the canopy cover down. Only his shadow could be seen, but Hermione knew it was no other person sitting there, slouching as badly as Harry was.  
  
"What's wrong Harry?" she whispered as she sat down beside him.  
  
He lied down on his bed. He sat back up instantly.  
  
"Don't you know what they're doing?" he asked.  
  
There was a tear dropping down his face, surprising Hermione.  
  
"No..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"They're taking you away from me!" Harry exclaimed putting his head on Hermione's shoulder.  
  
Hermione was at a loss for words. She ran her fingers down Harry's back, soothing him.  
  
Harry grabbed Hermione's bracelet.  
  
"What are you doing Harry?" Hermione whispered.  
  
"Keeping you with me."  
  
"Don't talk crazy. I'm not about to abandon you. Neither is Cassandra or Ron!"  
  
"Yes you will, you'll go away. They'll take you away."  
  
Suddenly Ron burst into the room looking bewildered.  
  
"Lupin just came. He said it's serious. He wants you to come, Hermione. Lupin says it's something about Professor McGonagall. I figure it's something important, you better go Hermione," he said.  
  
Then Ron left.  
  
Hermione stood up. Harry pulled her down.  
  
"I told you! They're taking you from me!" Harry screeched.  
  
Then Hermione became certain that Harry was going mental. She shook her head and tried to think of something to say to him.  
  
"I'll be back," Hermione whispered.  
  
Then she ran out of the room, ran until she reached Professor McGonagall's office.  
  
She flung the door open. Hermione saw Lupin standing over McGonagall, apparently trying to comfort her.  
  
McGonagall's head was down. She was muttering things rapidly in a foreign language, it seemed.  
  
She kept putting her head to her forehead and Lupin was trying to stop her.  
  
Again and again, McGonagall kept pushing away.  
  
"I'm here,' Hermione whispered coldly.  
  
McGonagall's head came up quickly.  
  
"Hermione! Do you know where Harry got that bracelet?" McGonagall asked hoarsly.  
  
"No. How did you know that he gave it to me? Did he steal it or something? We know he's got a problem with that!" Hermione said sharply.  
  
"No, no. Dumbledore had given it to him inside the Invisibility Cloak. It used to be Harry's mom's. It was a powerful bracelet. James had given it to her in secrecy at the time, but then Tom Riddle had put a powerful spell on it," Professor McGonagall admitted.  
  
"Lily had a secret," McGonagall continued. "Everyone though that she was from Muggle parentage."  
  
"Isn't she?" Hermione asked timidly.  
  
"No, not quite. Many years ago, her pure Muggle family had a run in with descendants from both Godric Gryffindor and Salaazar Slytherin. So, as you see, she wasn't quite all Muggle. Yet, that was a long time ago, therefore most people weren't aware of it. Tom put the curse on the bracelet when he found out about Lily. Now he's the only Salaazar Slytherin descendant left. Well, going on... I need you to go back into time and get that bracelet from Lily. You'll go back as me of course. You'll take the place of me as a seventh year student."  
  
She paused and took a breath.  
  
"I couldn't bare to go back. The memories would simply be too much for me to handle..." McGonagall trailed off.  
  
"This had better help Harry," Hermione said sternly.  
  
"It will, in time that is," McGonagall promised.  
  
"Then tell me what I have to do," Hermione said.  
  
"Well... I brew a potion up for us. Once we both take it, you will be me in my seventh year.  
  
"If I'm you – Professor – then, are you me?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm afraid so..."  
  
McGonagall poured a potion into two goblets. She handed one to Hermione.  
  
"On the count of three, we'll drink the potion," McGonagall commanded.  
  
"Okay, I'll count. But how is this supposed to help Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"We need to see the Curse Voldemort put on the bracelet. That way we find a counter curse to give Harry more strength when he battles Voldemort. It will work against Voldemort, and it must be very powerful, if Voldemort put it on Lily," McGonagall explained.  
  
"Good luck Hermione," Lupin said.  
  
"Thanks," Hermione whispered.  
  
Then in a loud voice she started calling out the numbers.  
  
"One..."  
  
"Thank you so much Hermione. I know you understand it would just be so hard for me..."  
  
"Two..."  
  
"To go back and see all those faces, I just couldn't stand..."  
  
"Three!"  
  
Hermione was asleep in the Hogwarts dormitory. She heard a loud voice next to her. Oh Cassandra... she thought turning to a side.  
  
Then she got up and stretched.  
  
"Oy Minnie! You'll be late! Didn't you get any sleep? You've got them bags under your eyes!" the loud voice exclaimed.  
  
Hermione opened her eyes.  
  
Then she saw a much thinner and younger version of Mrs. Weasley.  
  
I wasn't dreaming! She thought.  
  
What was her name? I don't ever remember Ron saying anything about her first name...  
  
"Molly Bates knows that you haven't been sleeping. What's wrong Minnie?"  
  
Molly... That seemed right. Bates must have been her – maiden name...  
  
"I don't know," Hermione said shifting around, vision completely blurry.  
  
"Well, get dressed darling. You don't want to be late," Molly said, finding a good robe to wear.  
  
"Where do I keep my glasses?" Hermione asked, trying to sound natural.  
  
"Where you always do, of course. On your dresser."  
  
"Thanks Molly."  
  
Hermione grabbed the glasses and slipped them on.  
  
Ah... Now I can actually see...  
  
Hermione took a shower and slipped on a black skirt and a dark red polo tee with a white tie hanging down. Then she slipped on a robe and looked in the mirror for the first time.  
  
Her hair is so bushy. She should do something about it. These clothes are okay, but they remind me of private school... Yikes!  
  
Hermione didn't realize that McGonagall was really more like her than she imagined.  
  
Hermione walked down to the Great Hall with Casey. They took pieces of toast and sat down at the Gryffindor table.  
  
Not many people were there yet, but Hermione spotted James at once. Hermione sadly imagined McGonagall not talking to him for those long years.  
  
James was exactly like Harry, picture perfect. He had that same messy hair, same build, and same grin. The only things different were the scar and the eyes. James' eyes were a deep raven black and Harry's were sparkling green.  
  
A tear was tempted to come to Hermione's eyes, but she held it back.  
  
Suddenly a very handsome guy came running forward. Young Sirius Black! He was so tempting under his dark features. Hermione melted, simply seeing him.  
  
"I saw Snape hanging around our Quidditch supplies. He better not be trying to jinx anything!" Sirius exclaimed to James.  
  
"Tom probably put him up to it, like he always does. Snape's always doing the dirty work for them. I doubt any of them like him. He's one of the weirdest people I've ever known!" James exclaimed.  
  
Casey took a bite of her toast and joined the conversation.  
  
"Who's one of the weirdest people you've ever known?" she asked.  
  
"Severus Snape! He's trying to jinx our stuff again!" James exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Again?" Remus said, coming in from an entrance.  
  
Peter was following him, looking upset.  
  
Hermione looked up, seeing Remus. She grinned. He looked good too, and there was something about him that made him look very – intellectual. She was surprised that Minerva never liked him.  
  
"Minerva? Can I borrow your Charms homework? I only need a few more answers," Peter said stumbling around.  
  
"Absolutely not!" Hermione snapped, instantly remembering her third year at Hogwarts.  
  
Hermione started looking for Lily. She still hadn't shown up at the table.  
  
Finally, impatience got the better of her.  
  
"Where's Lily?" she asked Casey.  
  
James turned bright red, and Casey looked queerly at Hermione.  
  
"Where she always is of course. At the Slytherin table. Look at her over there, laughing with Tom. Head Boy and Head Girl, dating since the fourth year," Casey went on.  
  
She paused.  
  
"I think there's something different about Lily though. Something that doesn't make her quite a Slytherin. She seems so nice – and sweet – and innocent. Well, that shows you how much Casey Bates knows. I'm going to go see what Arthur's up to," Casey said removing her self from her seat and walking over to Arthur Weasley.  
  
Lily – a Slytherin???  
  
Hermione was shocked!  
  
It was the last thing she had ever expected. Furthermore, she was dating Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort himself.  
  
Hermione went through Charms class quickly ad found herself in Doubles Potions with a teacher looking as foul as Snape.  
  
But his name was Professor Algernon. He had greasy hair, oily skin, beady eyes, and a hook shaped nose. At once he began to take role.  
  
"Lily Andrews... Molly Bates... Sirius Black... Remus Lupin... Lucius Malfoy... Minerva McGonagall... Minerva! Excuse me! Is Miss McGonagall too busy in her own dream world to say here?" Professor Algernon yelled.  
  
"No, not at all... I'm sorry. Here," Hermione said nervously.  
  
She had forgotten that her name was Minerva.  
  
Hermione heard the lot of Slytherin snickering at her.  
  
"Oh, thank you so much! I greatly appreciate that you decided to join us for class today Miss McGonagall," Algernon said sarcastically.  
  
He continued with the role.  
  
"Peter Pettigrew... James Potter... Tom Riddle... Severus Snape... and Arthur Weasley!"  
  
He took the parchment in his hands and rolled it up. He set it aside and took out a large gold cauldron.  
  
"Today we will be working on the Invisibility Solution,' Professor Algernon said.  
  
"I'll be paring you up into groups of two," he continued. "Lily, you may partner with – her," he said shooting a revolting look at Hermione.  
  
Hermione left her seat and moved her stuff to where Lily was seated.  
  
"This class is so boring," Lily groaned.  
  
Hermione's eyes went instantly to the bracelet on Lily's thin wrist. In the heads of the boy and girl jewels, there were sparkling crystals, just like the one Hermione had. The only difference was that these crystals were glowing rapidly.  
  
"That's pretty. Where'd you get it?" Hermione asked hesitantly.  
  
"It was from a friend."  
  
"Was it James?"  
  
"Why, yes. How did you know?"  
  
"Well – Uh – because – he talks about you so much, and he talked about buying the bracelet. He really likes you."  
  
"Yeah? I like him too. But we could never go together. Tom would get too angry!"  
  
"Was it glowing when James gave it to you?"  
  
"I don't think so... Must be a thing that – takes time or something..."  
  
It had to be the curse, Hermione thought.  
  
"Right, must be," Hermione said.  
  
"I think I can talk to you. You know, as a friend? About things like this. Finally someone – no one in Slytherin would really understand me. They'd all tell Tom anything I'd say. They're all spies for Tom. Then he'd get mad at me all over again.  
  
"Does Tom ever hurt – or hit you?"  
  
"No, never. He says he's protecting me. We're different from anyone else."  
  
"Is it because of Slytherin..."  
  
"How do you know so much?"  
  
"I just do."  
  
"Well – yeah. But you can't tell a soul. Please?"  
  
"I won't."  
  
"Tom gets mad easily."  
  
"Yeah? I don't like him."  
  
"Well of course you don't Minerva. No one from Gryffindor can stand Tom.  
  
"Well yeah, but –"  
  
"And you never talked to me, that much – until today."  
  
"Well, it might have had something to do with you being Tom's girlfriend."  
  
"Yeah. Most likely, huh? Know what? Tom's having a party down in the old Shrieiking Shack. I wish you'd come. Bring a friend too, okay? Class is over, Tom wants me. I gotta run, bye!"  
  
Hermione watched Tom put his arm around Lily and lead her out the door.  
  
He seemed awfully protective of her.  
  
Hermione knew exactly who she was going to invite. He just had to say yes now.  
  
All he had to do... was say yes...  
  
Hermione packed her stuff up and ran off to find him.  
  
  
Part Two:  
  
"Oh please?" Hermione asked sweetly.  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"Oh come on, please?" Hermione asked.  
  
"It's a Slytherin party. I know I wouldn't be welcome there..."  
  
"Sure you would – Remus. Besides, Lily invited us."  
  
"She invited you."  
  
"Well... she told me to invited another person."  
  
"Then why'd you pick me?"  
  
"Oh Remus. I know I don't act too kind all the time, but I really don't mean it. Honest."  
  
"Okay, fine. I'll go. What time is the party?"  
  
"In half an hour."  
  
"Okay. Let's go see what the group's doing in the mean time."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Hermione sat down in the common room with Molly. Remus went to go sit next to James, Sirius, Arthur, and Peter.  
  
"What are you up to this evenin'? I've never seen yeh so friendly with Remus," Molly said.  
  
"Lily Pot- I mean Andrews, invited me and Remus to a party," Hermione said.  
  
It wasn't completely a lie. She was invited. Remus was sort of invited.  
  
Potter had almost slipped her tongue.  
  
"Lily invited yeh to a party? I'd have thought Tom would've killed her before letting a Gryffindor join one of those quote unquote parties."  
  
"He doesn't know about it, I don't think."  
  
"Yeh better watch out."  
  
"Remus will be there. I'll be fine."  
  
"Why so close with Remus, eh?"  
  
"Is it wrong?"  
  
"No, that's not it. You've never close with 'im. That's why."  
  
"Well, I guess I've just now realized that he's not all bad. We're going to be late unless we leave now," Hermione said standing up.  
  
She walked over to Remus.  
  
"Ready?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," he replied.  
  
Remus waved to his friends and then they dissapeared to the Shrieking Shack.  
  
Hermione wore a long skirt with a slit that she thought was much too revealing.  
  
McGonagall's clothes are WEIRD! She insisted to herself.  
  
She was wearing a full sleeved green shirt with a scarlet cloak and dragon hide boots.  
  
Hermione looked at Lupin. He was looking weary but handsome all the same. He was wearing his boots,   
  
Finally, they caught sight of the Shrieking Shack. They could already tell that a wild party was going on. Remus and Hermione hadn't entered, but it was so loud that Hermione thought drinking or something was going on. Couple after couple was dissapearing to bushes, away from the shack. Old hags surrounded the place. A evil witch started looking deviously at Remus and Hermione.  
  
Remus put his arm around Hermione, who pushed away. She thought McGonagall would have done just as much if she was in that position.  
  
Loud music was bellowing out of the shack. The windows were all open. There seemed to be a band playing inside. Some people were in there that Hermione thought were too old to be going to Hogwarts. Her insides were shaking. Finally they reached the door.  
  
Hermione saw a window and tried to get Lily's attention through it. Finally Lily spotted her. She went to open the door.  
  
"Hey Minerva. Glad you could make it. Tom still doesn't know about this – so Uh, try to stay out of his way," Lily advised.  
  
"Okay," Hermione said.  
  
She grabbed Remus' hand and followed Lily. The three of them sat down in a corner.  
  
Lily was pulling nervously at her long pink skirt that was flaring out. She had a white top to match and her hair was in braids. She really did look innocent compared to the other Slytherin students. They were all in dark green and black.  
  
Lily faced Lupin and Hermione, looking terrified.  
  
"If Tom sees me here he'll kill me," Remus muttered.  
  
"Don't worry Remus. Just stay with me, there isn't too much he can do, I hope..." Lily trailed off.  
  
Suddenly Tom swooped down with Snape and Lucius at his side.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the resident werewolf..." Tom muttered.  
  
Lupin suddenly turned very red. Hermione's heart went out to him. She wished the McGonagall would've been nicer to him, in the past and future.  
  
"I – I –" Lupin stuttered.  
  
"I don't remember inviting Gryffindor dirt to my party..." Tom went on.  
  
Lily trembled.  
  
"I invited them," she said quickly.  
  
"When did I ever say you could befriend anyone from Gryffindor?" Tom asked scowling.  
  
Lily fell silent.  
  
Tom turned to Lupin.  
  
"How did I know you were a werewolf? Very simple. You don't think Snape would keep his mouth shut, would you?" Tom asked snickering.  
  
"After you almost killed him?" he went on.  
  
"Remus didn't try to kill Snape! It wasn't his fault!" Hermione exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Oh yes, yes. That was Black's idea, wasn't it? But then hero Potter decided to save Snape. Oh yes... He got his cold feet at the last moment. He thought he'd save Severus so that he wouldn't get his own behind expelled from Hogwarts. Severus, if you were in Potter's position, you would have let him die, wouldn't you?" Tom asked.  
  
"Yes," Snape muttered.  
  
"Stupid!" Lucius exclaimed laughing.  
  
He chucked an empty bottle of butterbeer at Snape. Snape quickly ducked and Lily got hit on the knee instead.  
  
"Hey! Don't touch her!" Tom exclaimed angrily, pushing Lucius down.  
  
"It was for Snape, honest," Lucius said trembling.  
  
Then Tom's attention turned to Lily.  
  
"Well? When did I say you could be friends with a werewolf and a stupid girl?" he shouted.  
  
"You don't own me Tom. I can be friends with whoever I want to be friends with," Lily replied.  
  
"We'll see..." Tom trailed off.  
  
"Well fine! If they aren't welcome here, then I'm leaving with them!" Lily exclaimed.  
  
"I don't think so," Tom said.  
  
He grabbed Hermione by McGonagall's long black hair and threw her to the ground.  
  
"Ouch!" Hermione muttered.  
  
Then he tried to grab Lupin by his robe, but at that moment James and Sirius flung the door open.  
  
"James!" Lily cried.  
  
"Leave them alone!" James yelled.  
  
"What do you want me to do with him?" Lucius asked coldly.  
  
"I'll kill him," he added in a voice just as cold. He only showed more hatred this time.  
  
"No! When he dies, I'll be the one that kills him!" Tom roared.  
  
Hermione shivered, thinking how true it was.  
  
"Shut up Tom!" James barked.  
  
"Come on Lily, James, Remus, Minerva. Let's go!" Sirius muttered.  
  
Hermione rushed towards Sirius. They all followed quickly. Remus went last, slamming the door hard and leaving.  
  
They rushed down the stairs and walked out to the lake. They sat down on the sandy ground.  
  
Hermione tensed. She had to get the bracelet away from Lily, so that maybe, Harry could use the counter-curse and kill Voldemort. If only – and then she got an idea!  
  
"Um, Lily – you see... The reason I was talking to you in Potions was because I was afraid of you. I overheard Tom telling Lucius and Severus that he would put a curse on that bracelet last week. I was trying to get it away from you – but I couldn't. I didn't have a good enough reason, and I didn't want to sound foolish. So now I'm telling you. It's better to just be straightforward about it," Hermione finished.  
  
Lily's beautiful eyes widened.  
  
"I'll admit that I wouldn't have believe you then, but after everything that has happened tonight, I do. I do believe you. It hurts to think that he'd do something as awful as that. It really hurts," Lily admitted.  
  
James finally spoke.  
  
"Minnie! You should have told me. I would have taken it away from Lily instantly. I can buy you millions more," he added blushing.  
  
"Well – we weren't exactly on speaking terms, right? So, how could I tell you? You'd probably think that I was hallucinating or something," Hermione replied.  
  
She was proud of herself for coming up with such a good lie.  
  
But lies are bad. Never do it again! She scolded her self.  
  
"If it's something rotten that Tom did? Never! I'd believe everything!" James said strongly.  
  
"I'm glad," Hermione said.  
  
"Why haven't you been talking to me all these years?" James asked holding Lily tight.  
  
"Well, I've got to keep some of my secrets, right?" Hermione said smiling.  
  
"Okay, okay," James replied.  
  
"Here, take it," Lily said, giving the soft bracelet to Hermione.  
  
"It always reminded me of James though," she added sadly.  
  
Lily looked up at James – as if he was some type of hero. Her eyes shined under the moonlight.  
  
"I'll buy you a million more if you want. A million more, I promise," James said.  
  
Lily took the bracelet off, handing it to Hermione.  
  
"I know just the spell, I'll give it a proper burial, promise," she whispered with a quick smile.  
  
"Let's go," Sirius urged.  
  
Sirius, Remus, and Hermione stood up. They let James and Lily stay out by the lake for a while.  
  
Hermione walked up in Lupin's arms (happily, but in a way still yearning for Harry), but she kept thinking of James and Lily. They looked so sweet, so peaceful, and so meant for each other. It was too sad that they didn't know they'd die because Peter would betray them. Hermione wished she could tell James not to switch to Peter, and tell him what would happen, but she knew better than that. She didn't want to change the whole future. She knew better than to mess with time – too much.  
  
Hermione knew her time was up. She knew there was nothing else she could do. All she was thinking about was home... Back at Hogwarts in the future...  
  
And suddenly there she was.  
  
She was in McGonagall's cold office, in her own body. She looked up and saw McGonagall and Lupin sitting down with wrinkles under the eyes and their arms crossed.  
  
McGonagall jumped up instantly.  
  
"Where is it? Where's the bracelet?" she demanded.  
  
"I got it. Right here," Hermione said taking the bracelet from the inside of her cloak.  
  
"Oh, good. Thank you! Now, we just need to figure out the counter-curse. We'll see if Dumbledore can help us, although – I really don't know. He's on his death bed, really," McGonagall muttered.  
  
"Headmaster Dumbledore is dying?" Hermione asked anxiously.  
  
"He's getting really old. You'd be surprised to hear how old he really is. Thank you Hermione, thank you so much. Now we'll save Harry – and the rest of us," McGonagall said.  
  
"Yeah, thank you Hermione," Lupin added.  
  
Hermione looked at him and remembered his face from the past.  
  
"Professor Lupin – you were really good looking," she said blushing.  
  
Lupin was caught off guard, but he gave a grin.  
  
"Why, thank you Hermione. Pity someone else didn't feel that way," he said grinning and blushing at the same time, looking at McGonagall.  
  
"Well – I don't know..." McGonagall trailed off.  
  
"I'll leave you two – alone..." Hermione said laughing.  
  
"Thank you Hermione," McGonagall said, yet again.  
  
Hermione took a huge breath and left the room, letting McGonagall and Lupin settle their differences.  
  
Hermione entered the Common Room and caught Harry's eye from the distance.  
  
"Hermione, you're back!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
He ran to her.  
  
"I told you I'd be," Hermione said.  
  
"Well, I know. You did come back, but you were acting so weird. Avoiding me, I guess you could say. You're back Hermione, oh, thank you."  
  
He kissed Hermione three times. Once on the forehead, cheek, and lips.  
  
Hermione's insides went to jelly. She blushed as heavy as Ron's hair, but she was really as light as a feather.  
  



	15. The First Task

Chapter Fifteen: The First Task  
  
When Hermione re-entered her world, it was Saturday. It was amazing how everything happened on Friday. Hermione woke up feeling relaxed.  
  
She woke up before Cassandra and opened all the windows to let the light in. She pushed the silky drapes behind heavy chests and let the sun reflect in.  
  
Then she walked into the Gryffindor Tower girl's bathrooms. She turned the hot water knob on and let the bath tub fill up. She walked to her bath and shower set from Bath and Body Works and picked the perfect scent to fill the tub with.  
  
Soon the entire bathroom filled with the sweet aroma of Country Apple. Hermione slipped into the water and all her troubles were instantly washed away. She inhaled and exhaled, feeling so serene.  
  
Hermione stayed in the tub for about half an hour. Then she instantly got out.  
  
The first task is today! She thought to herself.  
  
"Oh my gosh! I can't believe it. What's Harry going to have to do?" Hermione asked out loud.  
  
She slipped on her bathrobe and dried her hair.  
  
Then she put on something she never thought she would wear, but she did it anyway. She grabbed one of Cassandra's halter-tops. This one was flamingo pink. She grabbed a black leather mini skirt to match. Then she put on her dragon hide boots and took her hair and put it in two braids.  
  
She grabbed her make up purse and put light powder on. Then she grabbed her blush brush and dabbed on a soft color to her cheeks. She put clear mascara on and pink eye shadow. Then she painted her nails flamingo pink. Her entire face was glowing.  
  
Hermione slipped on earrings with little pink diamonds hanging off of them. Then she put on tons of pink bracelets and a gold chain around her neck.  
  
She opened the bathroom door and saw Cassandra with a towel and her hair pulled up with a jaw clip. She was in her bathrobe – bright yellow – and she was looking very tired.  
  
Then she took a look at Hermione.  
  
"I never thought I'd see the day. Borrowing stuff from me? Proves you've got class!" Cassandra exclaimed happily.  
  
"You look like you just woke up," Hermione said sitting on her bed.  
  
"I did. The sun was in my eyes. What did you open those windows for?" Cassandra asked rubbing an eye.  
  
"The world looked so pretty," Hermione said sighing.  
  
"I feel like we switched places. Then again, yesterday you were acting like mini McGonagall," Cassandra said.  
  
"I was?" Hermione asked hiding a grin.  
  
"Oh yeah. You know what? I need a shower. So I can wake up some more. Give me a few minutes, okay?" Cassandra asked.  
  
A few minutes turned into an hour.  
  
"About time," Hermione scolded.  
  
"And I still don't look as cute as you. Oh well," Cassandra said sighing, making Hermione smile.  
  
She was wearing a strapless mini dress in black. Her hair was done with a black jaw clip. It was flying all over the place but it looked really cute.  
  
"What are you talking about? You're the only one that looks good in these clothes. I just felt like going wild for once," Hermione said.  
  
She thought to herself, besides, you only get one chance to live.  
  
"You know what you need?" Cassandra said chewing her thumbnail.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked.  
  
"My black leather jacket. It would look so cute with that skirt and halter-top. Trust me. Cassandra knows all," Cassandra said laughing.  
  
"I don't know..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Hey! If you feel like going wild, better go the whole way!" Cassandra exclaimed putting the jacket on Hermione.  
  
"Okay, okay. The first task is today, remember? I want to go see Harry," Hermione said unzipping the jacket that Cassandra tightened around her body.  
  
"Oh yes. We have to go see Harry. Or Hermione will die of boredom!" Cassandra exclaimed putting a hand to her forehead and pretending to faint.  
  
"Don't be silly," Hermione said pulling her up from the ground.  
  
They tip toed across Gryffindor tower (It was still really early...) and snuck into the seventh year boy's dorms.  
  
Hermione went over to Harry's side and started whispering in his ear.  
  
"Hey, Harry. Wake up. It's Hermione," she said.  
  
"What?" Harry asked half-asleep.  
  
"It's me, Hermione," she whispered again.  
  
"Don't take her away. Have me instead! No! Hermione!" Harry said loudly.  
  
"What are you talking about?" she whispered. "Shh. You'll wake everyone up."  
  
"No! You'll pay for this Wormtail! Dumbledore, don't just stand there. Sirius! Great Wizards! I'm so glad you're here. Thank you, thank you. We're in so much trouble. Wormtail just took Hermione! I hope they don't kill her. Quick, get rid of that dementor! I need to get out of here! No! Look behind you! It's too late!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Shh! Harry! Wake up, wake up," Hermione whispered.  
  
"What? What?" Harry asked bewildered.  
  
"You were having a dream," Hermione said.  
  
"Oh no Hermione! I didn't get you away from Wormtail in time. It's over!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Harry, you were having a dream, Harry wake up," Hermione said gently.  
  
"What? What?" Harry asked waking up.  
  
"You were having a dream Harry," Hermione said.  
  
Harry put his hand to his forehead.  
  
"Is it hurting again?" Hermione asked with fear.  
  
"Yeah, yes. I had a dream? It wasn't real? It felt real. It felt so real. When they tried to tie me up in that cage, and took my wand away. It was so real. Then Sirius was coming, but Voldemort knocked him out, he was back in power!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"You know what this means, right? We're going to come in contact with Voldemort – real soon," Hermione muttered.  
  
"We'll be ready. We'll fight him!" Harry exclaimed strongly.  
  
"In the mean time, the first task is today. You had better get dressed," Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Wait! How early is it?" Harry groaned.  
  
"About six," Hermione replied.  
  
"How early did you wake up?" he asked.  
  
"Four or four thirty," Hermione replied bashfully.  
  
"Why?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"I couldn't sleep. Well, I slept good, but I took a long bath."  
  
"I can tell. You smell good."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"And what are you wearing? Isn't that something Cassandra would wear?"  
  
"It's one of her out fits, but I felt like being wild."  
  
"Really? You look good too."  
  
"Thank you, but Harry. First task? Have they given you any hints?"  
  
"Not any. I've got everything in my brain that I could possibly use though. Remember the Summoning Charm? I'll use that if I can. What else, Gillyweed from the last year, although I'm not sure if I'll need it... They aren't likely to do the same tasks, I doubt they will, so... what do you think I need to learn?"  
  
"I'm not sure. If only they had given us some type of hint, I could have gotten millions of books for you to read."  
  
"I did some reading. Yesterday night I read up on hexes while you were reading a book. I think I've got everything I could possibly need. I just have to find out what the first task is."  
  
"Okay, well, go on. Get dressed. I'm going down to the common room. Heaven knows what Cassandra and Ron are doing. I heard them sneaking down there ages ago."  
  
"Okay. I'll go down there in a bit."  
  
Hermione walked down the stairs and saw Cassandra sitting in Ron's lap.  
  
"I'm going to go change," Ron said hastily as he looked up to see Hermione.  
  
"Good idea, good idea Ron," Cassandra replied.  
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
Cassandra straightened her clothes and stood up.  
  
"I wasn't doing anything..." she trailed off.  
  
"I'm sure. Since when are you so shy?"  
  
"Since never. I think I'm acting like Ron."  
  
"Sure, if you mean you're blushing as bad as his hair."  
  
"Oh, his hair that Draco needs?"  
  
"That's what I'm talking about."  
  
"Want to play Chess?"  
  
"What am I? Stupid? I don't think so. The only person that can beat you in chess is Ron."  
  
"He just got lucky."  
  
"'fraid not sister."  
  
Then Hermione remembered her first year, when Dumbledore started handing out points after Slytherin decorations were all over the walls. It was like it was yesterday:  
  
"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes..."  
  
"First – to Mr. Ronald Weasley..."  
  
Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.  
  
"...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award the Gryffindor house fifty points."  
  
Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be hear telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"  
  
At last there was silence again.  
  
"Second – to Miss Hermione Granger...for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."  
  
Hermione buried her face in her arms, Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves – they were a hundred points up.  
  
"Third – to Mr. Harry Potter..." said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "...for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."  
  
The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points – exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup – if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.  
  
Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.  
  
"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."  
  
Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise the erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him...  
  
"There they are," Cassandra said, shifting her attention to Harry and Ron who were climbing down the stairs.  
  
"Ready?" Hermione asked Harry.  
  
"I hope so," he replied nervously.  
  
"Well... let's go down to the Great Hall. Get a bite to eat so you have time to properly digest your food," Hermione suggested.  
  
"Excellent idea," Cassandra chirped in.  
  
"Okay, let me just tie my boots up," Ron said.  
  
"Finished," he said as they left Gryffindor Tower.  
  
They walked quickly to the Great Hall and all grabbed toast covered in marmalade and jelly.  
  
Slowly the Great Hall filled up with students. Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Cassandra had all finished their toast, but were still sitting at the Gryffindor table.  
  
Draco Malfoy stopped at the table, with Crabbe and Goyle on both sides of him.  
  
"So, I guess we'll see who the real Champion is today, huh Potter?" he asked sneering.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you'll fall flat on your face," Harry replied shortly.  
  
"You want to say that again?" Draco challenged.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you'll fall flat on your face."  
  
Hermione, Cassandra, and Ron were hiding giggles.  
  
"Oh, too funny – really. The real joke will be when you can't pass the first task," Draco mumbled.  
  
"Oh yeah! That's really funny! So funny – that I forgot to laugh," Harry muttered.  
  
Draco began cursing as he walked off with Crabbe and Goyle at his shoulders.  
  
"Will the Champions come forward?" Dumbledore asked pointedly when everyone had come into the Great Hall (well... almost everyone, Neville was still trying to find his other boot).  
  
Draco, Harry, Marci Deseri, and Nigel Bastelle walked forward. They climbed up to the High Table – at which all the teachers were present.  
  
Headmaster Timid was wearing a robe – entirely too large on him, and he was shaking.  
  
Madame Maxine was wearing a forest green satin dress and an emerald cloak with actual emeralds lining it carefully. Her legs were crossed, and she was wearing the most peculiar look – almost like the one Draco's mum carried.  
  
Dumbledore led them into a room where Bagman anxiously followed.  
  
"It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the –" Bagman began but he was cut off.  
  
"I'm so sorry I'm late. I desperately apologize but the Cauldron Convention held me over for a few days. What did I miss?" Percy Weasley asked.  
  
"Percy! How nice of you to join us. Um, this is our new Magical Cooperation Head. He will be joining us for the remainder of the –" Dumbledore began.  
  
"Headmaster Dumbledore – I see two students from Gryffindor – you don't mean to say that we've – again? All right," Percy said looking smug.  
  
"I was just about to introduce the first task to you," Bagman said.  
  
"I'll start again," he added with a shake of his head.  
  
"Each of you will have to cross a bridge for your first task. There will be four different bridges – each of you will have a different one. Each path is deadly – watch out! You will draw a model from this bag and whatever your model is, that's the one you'll be crossing. Be sure to note that at the bottom of the model it tells you which order you are going in – be sure to check it. I wish luck to you all," Mr. Bagman finished.  
  
He held out the bag.  
  
"Ladies first – I'm sure," he said smiling.  
  
Marci Deseri stood up and nervously slipped her hand into the bag.  
  
Her shaking hand picked out a thin rope attached to piranhas. There was a number one at the bottom of the model.  
  
Harry gasped. She would have to cross a thin rope – with only her wand – and a barrel or piranhas swimming around.  
  
Nigel Bastelle was next. He stuck his hand into the bag and pulled out a bridge in awful shape – looking ready to break at any second – and there was a herd of hippogriffs (looking extremely angry) behind the bridge. Underneath the model was a number three.  
  
Draco strutted forward. He dipped his hand in the bag and pulled out a fairly easy bridge.  
  
There were thick grasses all over the bridge – and that was it. Something was queer about the grasses though, but Draco didn't realize it.  
  
Harry picked last, he new what was coming – possibly the deadliest – as it was the last one. He nervously picked the last one out.  
  
It was a jungle!  
  
There were piranhas floating around in the water. It was a worn down bridge but not in comparison to Nigel Bastelle's bridge. There were wild flowers, poisonous herbs, wild hippogriffs behind the start line, and trees surrounding the bridge. The trees were tall – so tall in fact that you couldn't see light.  
  
Harry had a plan though, he had a plan and he knew just what he was going to do.  
  
"Now that you have all picked your bridges and have some time to think about what you will use... we will begin!" Bagman exclaimed.  
  
He walked out of the room and went out on to the Quidditch Field. His voice was magnified as he shouted out the objective and rules.  
  
"Mr. Bagman forgot to add that at the end of each bridge – should you survive – you shall get a diamond. This diamond will help you with your next task – tell you what will happen and such. Good luck to you all," Dumbledore added before disappearing out the door.  
  
"Marci Deseri!" Bagman's voice boomed as he continued on with the commentary.  
  
Marci shifted her long golden hair behind her face, batted her purple eyes quickly, put her head up and left the room bravely.  
  
"There she goes," Bagman began.  
  
Harry turned to Nigel Bastelle.  
  
"Nigel, isn't it?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes. I've heard all about you. That's where he did it, isn't it?" Nigel asked gesturing to his scar.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't remember it much. What year are you?"  
  
"Seventh, I'm eighteen now..."  
  
They turned back to the commentary.  
  
"Oh, I really wouldn't have done that... She should have been careful on the bridge. Hasn't used any magic yet... Oh no! She's fallen in! What will she do? The piranhas are coming faster and faster – smart move. She's back on the bridge. Only a few more steps – but a piranha just managed to give her a long gash across her leg. She's fallen down. That's the ticket! Keep using that charm and – she's crossed it!"  
  
A few seconds later Bagman was marveling at the marks.  
  
"Good mark! A bit high I'd say. A fairly decent mark, you can't expect to get perfects... Excellent! And now for our second contestant, Draco Malfoy!" he shouted over an enormous applause.  
  
Draco stuck his chest out and entered the stadium.  
  
"He enters the bridge – things are going good. Well! I guess he didn't expect that, did he? Ouch! That had to hurt!" Bagman shouted.  
  
Harry couldn't see anything but that he was breathing heavily.  
  
Nigel Bastelle was slouching on his seat.  
  
Harry closed his eyes and tried to concentrate.  
  
"He better stop that – only a little more left, and he's got the diamond!" Bagman yelled.  
  
A smaller applause broke out. Harry could swear he heard boos from the Gryffindor crowd.  
  
"Pretty fair scoring. I'd say that's about right..." Bagman trailed off.  
  
A few minutes went by and Bagman called for Nigel.  
  
"Next up is Nigel Bastelle from Durmstrang!"  
  
Nigel got up strongly and tackled the bridge.  
  
Mr. Bagman instantly started commentating.  
  
"Looks like those hippogriffs are mad today! Not a wise move – but we'll see what happens next... Excellent idea! Now he's getting the hang of it... Ouch! Excellent job Nigel!"  
  
"His scores are fairly good. Oh yes! That's the ticket! Last – Harry Potter!" Bagman shouted.  
  
Harry trembled. There was cool sweat on his forehead. He bravely stood up and faced the actual bridge.  
  
It was ten times as terrifying – no, a hundred. The trees were so tall as he stood on the starting platform, that he couldn't see day or light. The hippogriffs looked so fierce, that he was afraid to even look at them. The bridge was run down and any dangerous move would cause him to fall into the water swimming with piranhas. The bridge was so long that Harry didn't know how he'd manage – if he didn't have a plan.  
  
But he did. It was now or never. He wanted to try it again.  
  
"Accio Firebolt!" he shouted.  
  
Suddenly the Firebolt came to him.  
  
Harry jumped on to the swift broom just in time. The hippogriffs almost stampeded all over him.  
  
Harry flew straight up and finally saw light. He flew over the trees, (that were cousins of the Whomping Willow. They were very angry!) and stopped until he saw the end of the bridge.  
  
He quickly soared through the sky and landed down at the finish, sweeping the diamond from a house elf's hands.  
  
"Well done!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
She ran forward clutching her hat.  
  
"Your Summoning Charm did it again. I'm so glad!" she said brushing the hair away from her face.  
  
Harry had a huge grin on his face as he received the compliment.  
  
From the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione, Ron, and Cassandra running towards him with even bigger smiles.  
  
"Harry! You did it!" Hermione exclaimed hugging him tightly.  
  
Harry put his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder.  
  
McGonagall narrowed her eyes and Hermione quickly let go, smiling weakley.  
  
Then McGonagall's face broke into a smile smile.  
  
"You did it without getting a single mark on you. Excellent Potter! I don't think you need to go Pomfrey now. Although Malfoy did have many horrible burns all over his legs. I don't think Epider-gro is going to cut it this time. His legs were swollen and burning," she muttered shaking her head.  
  
Bagman ran up the stairs from the judges table and shook Harry's hand.  
  
"Excellent job Harry! You've completed the first task! Come, come get your marks!" he exclaimed.  
  
When he finally let go of Harry's hand, he scurried down the stairs and took his seat again.  
  
Madame Maxine took her wand and painted a silvery gas into the air. Harry saw a one. He burned up! This was insane!  
  
And then Madame Maxine took another wave of her wand and painted a 0.  
  
"Perfect ten!" Cassandra exclaimed happily.  
  
Professor Timid made a small ten with his wand.  
  
"Again!" Ron shouted.  
  
Percy drew his wand and made a very neat ten.  
  
"I can't believe it," Harry said.  
  
Dumbledore took his wand and made an interesting ten. It had sparks flying everywhere and inside the zero you could see a smiling face with winking eyes.  
  
"Excellent!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
It was Bagman's turn. Everyone knew that he would give Harry – yes! Another ten!  
  
Hermione hugged Harry again tightly.  
  
"I can't believe this!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Way to go Harry!" Cassandra shouted.  
  
"Yes!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
Harry put his arm around Hermione and they sat down. Harry listened to the three of them telling how the other Champions made their way through their bridges.  
  
"Draco thought all he had to do was walk across the bridge. It was hilarious watching his face as all the grasses and crap got squeezed his ankles and pulled him down. He got a nasty burn on his neck. Not to mention many other places. His legs were bleeding horribly. He was pulled halfway across the bridge. Then he did some charm that made the weed – or whatever it was – released him," Ron finished.  
  
Harry laughed at the thought of Draco being tied up in weeds – trying to strangle him (much like the memory of his first year when he had passed Fluffy...).  
  
Cassandra was about to tell Harry all about what Marci did but Bagman suddenly came up to Harry.  
  
"We need a word. To introduce the second task to you..." he trailed off.  
  
Harry clutched the diamond. He slipped it into his robe and followed Bagman.  
  
They entered a room full of velvety walpapering and pictures of famous Quidditch players.  
  
Harry sat on a cushioned chair next to the other Champions.  
  
"Now – as you know Harry is in the lead. He has fifty points. Nigel and Draco are tied for second with forty points. Marci is third with thirty-seven points. You are all doing very well. Now – some more rules for you. The diamond will give you clues towards the next task – we will not tell you how it does. That will be for you to figure out on your own. We wish you luck. In the meantime, the second task is in two weeks. We hope you will be ready. The Yule Ball will be the day after it. Good afternoon to you all now," Bagman finished.  
  
Harry looked around. He saw Marci with a huge bandage over her leg. Nigel had blood soaking through his robes from the back. Harry hopped off his chair and saw a very smug Draco limping off. He had his forehead bandaged and was looking extremely grumpy.  
  
Harry hid a grin and walked out of the room.  
  
"Marci like almost fell in half the time. Then – she actually did! And she did that Floating Charm – uh, what is it? Wingardium Levosia or something... I'm not quite sure. But anyway... she had to keep floating up to keep away from the piranhas. Then one of them got her leg. It looked really sick. So her leg got all messed up. I hope it gets fixed. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will get it back to normal in no time though," Cassandra said.  
  
"Nigel should have gotten more points. He had the stampeding hippogriffs behind him. He turned around quickly and bowed. Then one of the hippogriffs let him get on him and ride the whole bridge down. Of course he had to go quickly. The bridge broke as quickly as he crossed it. It was funny, he almost fell in the water. But some of the hippogriffs still weren't satisfied and scratched his back up. No one thought of the Summoning Charm, just like last time. I'm so proud of you Harry!" Hermione squealed.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said calmly.  
  
"So... have you begun to figure out how that diamond is going to be a clue? I mean – you've only got two weeks. That's much less time than last time. I don't see how you're going to manage to get it done..." Hermione went on and on and on.  
  
Harry shook his head and enjoyed the sun set. Now it was his turn to feel – as light as a feather.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	16. Dennis Creevy's Mistake

Chapter Sixteen: Dennis Creevy's Mistake  
  
"Longbottom! Please do not tell me that you still can not concoct a simple Minimizing Solution!" Snape barked during Potions on Monday.  
  
Neville whimpered – they way he always did for those seven long years under Snape's hooked nose.  
  
"Miss Granger! Do not even think of helping him!" Snape shouted as Hermione tried to stop Neville from breaking out into tears.  
  
The entire Slytherin side of the class room was laughing.  
  
"Nothing's funny. Why don't you shut up?" Harry asked.  
  
"Potter! That's ten points! I don't believe I asked you to say anything!" Snape bellowed in the dungeon.  
  
He turned to face the class.  
  
"We will be concocting a Maximizing Solution today – and we will be testing Neville's on – Potter!" Snape shouted.  
  
Harry's forehead burned.  
  
"Do you have a problem with this?" Snape challenged.  
  
He was trying to make Harry loose his temper.  
  
Harry sat there silently.  
  
"Well? Can you not talk today? Should I take some more points from Gryffindor for failure to respond in class? Huh, Potter? Well, Potter?"  
  
"No, I don't think you should – because you're intimidating me."  
  
"Silence!"  
  
"You asked me a –"  
  
"I said SILENCE!" Snape exclaimed.  
  
"At the end of class you will take Neville's Maximizing Solution. In the unlikely case that he correctly performs it – you will maximize like a balloon and I will give you the antidote to reduce you to your former state. Now – in the event that Neville can not concoct a proper Solution, you will stay a big balloon. Get started class!" Snape boombed.  
  
The students pulled out their ingredients and starting filling their cauldrons with bubbling broths.  
  
"We need to do something!" Hermione squealed.  
  
"I know. Nobody wants Harry to be a big balloon. That would be horrible for our Quidditch team!" Cassandra exclaimed sighing.  
  
"Well... Hermione, switch potions with Neville again," said Ron.  
  
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes! Just do it! I don't care if Snape takes away any more points – so long as my best friend doesn't turn into a balloon!" exclaimed Ron.  
  
"Well... okay. Let's get to work Cassandra," Hermione said.  
  
"Right on it," Cassandra replied.  
  
They worked diligently and concocted a perfect Maximizing Solution. Cassandra switched cauldrons with Neville just in time. He didn't notice what they had done – for he was shaking and trembling horribly – and Snape was coming towards him.  
  
"Well! Potter! Come here!" he barked.  
  
Harry got of his seat and slowly walked over to Snape.  
  
"I'm here," he boredly said.  
  
Snape took a spoonful of the Solution and handed it to Harry.  
  
He took it and swallowed carefully.  
  
He swelled up and became inflated as he reached the sky. He was a huge balloon! The Slytherin students were rolling on the floor laughing. How humiliating!  
  
Harry shot a bottle of antidote at Harry. He grabbed it with his swelling arm and drank it in large gulps. Slowly he went back to his original size. The Slytherins were still snickering.  
  
"I liked you better fat!" Draco shouted.  
  
"No wonder you like Crabbe and Goyle," Harry shot back unpleasantly.  
  
"SILENCE!" Snape commanded.  
  
"Miss Granger, I believe I asked you not to help Longbottom! That's ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said nastily.  
  
Harry shuffled back to his seat.  
  
"I can't believe it! Snape doesn't get mad at Malfoy for anything!" Harry exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Well, of course he doesn't. You of all people should know that Harry," said Hermione softly.  
  
"Well that doesn't make it fair. I wish I could get back at Snape for something," Harry muttered packing all his bags up and leaving the classroom.  
  
"Have you figured out what the diamond means yet?" Hermione asked changing the subject.  
  
"No, not yet," Harry mumbled.  
  
"Well, you've got roughly less than two weeks. I don't understand why everything is going to quickly this year. They should give the Champions as much time as possible," said Hermione thoughtfully.  
  
"Don't worry about it Harry. You're in the lead by a lot!" Ron exclaimed making Harry feel a little bit better.  
  
"I can't believe Draco got all those points. He definitely didn't deserve it," Cassandra said.  
  
"Well, he wasn't horrible..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Whose side are you on?" asked Harry playfully.  
  
"Yours of course," Hermione replied quickly.  
  
"That's what I thought," Harry said in a macho voice.  
  
Hermione playfully slapped him.  
  
"But really... you need to figure out how the diamond can possibly be a clue..." Hermione insisted.  
  
"I've got plenty of time for that later. Right now I want to go get some lunch," Harry replied.  
  
"I second that," said Ron.  
  
"I third it!" Cassandra piped in.  
  
Hermione frowned at all of them.  
  
"Oh, all right. But when Draco gets ahead of you, don't blame me!" Hermione exclaimed as Cassandra pulled her into the Great Hall.  
  
They sat down at the Gryffindor table and dish after dish was filled in high quality French and Bulgarian foods to make the guests feel as comfortable as possible.  
  
"The house elves are really having their work cut out for them, don't you think?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I thought you finally decided to give S.P.E.W. up!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"I'm not so sure. Well – of course they've learnt to like being slaves, but they deserve so much better and – oh, who am I kidding? Let's just enjoy the food," Hermione finally said.  
  
"Now you're talking!" Ron exclaimed as he helped him self to treacle tart.  
  
"This is so good!" Cassandra squealed as she sampled the kidney pudding.  
  
Harry wrinkled his nose.  
  
"I'm taking some more," Cassandra decided.  
  
"This really is good," Harry said as he took a large bite of a roast beef sandwich.  
  
"You guys are pigs!" Hermione exclaimed as she took small bites from her ceaser salad.  
  
"We're not pigs. You just don't eat enough. I'm going to make you eat more after you finish that salad," Cassandra said.  
  
"What are you going to make me eat?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Some treacle tart. Ron says it's really good. And of course this great kidney pudding! Honestly Harry, you can get a sandwich any day. Try some of this pudding!" Cassandra said as she took another spoonful.  
  
"All in good time," replied Harry laughing.  
  
Hermione finished her salad and took a sip of her Pumpkin Juice.  
  
"Don't think you're going to get away from me Hermione," Cassandra said as she plopped a huge piece of kidney pudding on Hermione's gold plate.  
  
"That's too much!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Hardly! I took that much three times and I'm still hungry," said Cassandra.  
  
"Well, if you're making me eat some, then give some to Harry," Hermione said.  
  
"Okay! Here you go Harry!" Cassandra exclaimed plopping a larger amount on Harry's plate.  
  
"Wow!" Harry said laughing.  
  
Harry finished his food and they all grabbed their bags.  
  
"We've got a lot of time before we have Charms with Filtwick. Do you want to drop our stuff of in Gryffindor Tower and then go visit Hagrid?" Hermione suggested.  
  
They hadn't talked to Hagrid in a long time.  
  
"Sure," Cassandra said.  
  
She wanted to see Hagrid's hut more than any thing.  
  
They ran back to Gryffindor Tower and put their stuff down at their bedsides.  
  
Then they walked all the way to Hagrid's hut.  
  
"'bout time yer came to see me. Oy, Cassandra! You came to see me too! Glad yeh did, my hut's a mess, mind yeh. Have a seat, have a seat. Would yeh like some tea and cakes?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Oh, it's okay Hagrid. We just had lunch," Hermione said quickly.  
  
"All right then. Oy Harry! D'ya know what yer gonna do 'bout the diamond?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"No, not yet. I've only had it for a day now," Harry replied.  
  
"Well, if yeh'd like some tips, I'd give yeh some..."  
  
"Hagrid, not now. I think Harry should give it a go on his own first," Hermione said pointedly.  
  
"Course, course..." Hagrid said.  
  
"Don't take it the wrong way. We appreciate your help," Hermione said.  
  
"Course, course... What class have yeh got next?" Hagrid asked changing the subject.  
  
"Charms. I think we'll be reviewing the Cheering Charms today," Hermione replied.  
  
"Trust Hermione to keep on top of everything," Ron said laughing.  
  
"Oh yes. School is so important. I'm in love with school and class..." Cassandra trailed off mocking Hermione.  
  
"Oh, don't be silly. Is it horrible to know that we're studying?" Hermione challenged.  
  
"Yes," Harry said.  
  
"Since forever of course," Harry replied with a grin on his face.  
  
"You better not be," Harry said putting his arms around Hermione.  
  
"How much yeh wanna bet?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Hermione? Speaking with unproper grammar? Am I hearing things?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"You are good Cassie!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Thank you," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Since when is making fun of me a hobby?" Hermione asked with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Since forever of course," Harry replied with a grin on his face.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure," Hermione said.  
  
"Thanks for having us Hagrid," Cassandra said sweetly.  
  
"Any time, any time. I'm only sad yeh don't visit me more often," Hagrid boombed.  
  
"We're sorry. We've just been really busy. You understand, don't you?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Sure, sure... Come back soon, yeh hear?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"We will," assured Ron.  
  
They got up and walked towards the door. Hagrid waved as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower to get their stuff for Charms.  
  
They got to Charms quickly and took their seats. Professor Filtwick was perched on his usual amount of spell books.  
  
"Hello class," squeaked Filtwick. "Today we're going to start out by reviewing Cheering Charms. Then we'll have a discussion on what happened to Gilbert the Goodfellow for pronouncing the charms wrong."  
  
Hermione got out her books and began to memorize all the things she new about Gilbert the Goodfellow.  
  
Filtwick summed up Cheering Charms and everyone was feeling as light as a feather. Then he launched into a great discussion of Gilbert the Goodfellow and how he turned himself into a permanent frog for pronouncing charms wrong.  
  
"In 1542 Gilbert died as a frog," Hermione finished.  
  
"Very good!" Professor Filtwick said clapping his hands.  
  
"Encore," Ron whispered to Cassandra under his breath.  
  
Cassandra bit back her lip to stop from laughing.  
  
"Class is dismissed," Professor Filtwick said waving his arm towards the door.  
  
Hermione, Harry, Cassandra, and Ron packed their bags, picked up their purses (well, only Hermione and Cassandra did that...), and went to Herbology.  
  
Professor Sprout was rearranging the Willwolly Weeds as they entered the class room.  
  
Hannah Abbot gave a friendly wave as she took her seat.  
  
"Good afternoon class," Professor Sprout said as she managed to get some of the dirt out of her fingers.  
  
"Today we are going to be replanting the Fairy Weeds. They should be ready in two to three weeks after we plant them. Then we can squeeze them for their juices. The juices will be used by Professor Snape and Filtwick in a potion concocted for Good Luck Charms. I dare say that Professor Snape isn't as eager for it, but Professor Filtwick was positively beaming when I told him the good news. Now class, get in pairs of three to five, no more, no less," said Sprout as she started pointing her wand to closets and drawers, getting gardening equipment out.  
  
"Hey Neville. Come work with us," Harry called out.  
  
"Me?" Neville asked.  
  
"Of course. We know how good you are at Herbology," Ron said.  
  
Neville blushed.  
  
"Do you really think so?" Neville asked trembling.  
  
"We know so," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Yes Neville. Otherwise why would have the Professor said so?" Hermione pointed out.  
  
Neville grabbed a stool and started tickling one of the Fairy Weeds. It instantly popped out and Hermione took a firm hold of it as Cassandra made a hole. Then she stuffed it in the hole and Ron and Harry took mounds of dirt and piled it upon the Fairy Weed.  
  
"Excellent Neville. I haven't much read up on Fairy Weeds. Shame on me. I would have never thought to tickling them," Hermione said making Neville glow brilliantly.  
  
The professor came up to their table and applauded Neville.  
  
"Was it your idea to tickle them? Class! Everyone! Neville has figured out the easiest way to remove Fairy Weeds!" she exclaimed.  
  
Justin Flinch-Fletchley looked up. He was awfully discouraged. The Fairy Weeds were sprinkling dust all over him and he was getting a horrible allergy attack.  
  
Neville looked surprisingly enthusiastic and was feeling much more comfortable. He quickly made the job easier for Harry, Ron, Cassandra, and Hermione. Soon, they were the first ones finished. Neville went from table to table, giving them tips on how to plant the Fairy Weeds and almost everyone took the advice cheerfully. It wasn't often that Neville got the spotlight. Herbology was his only chance to gain it and Harry, Ron, Cassandra, and Hermione were feeling very happy for Neville.  
  
All good things must come to an end. Herbology class was over and so was Neville's glory, for that day anyway.  
  
"I was happy for Neville. He deserved that, especially after Snape was torturing him – as usual," Hermione said.  
  
"Too true. I think Snape should lay off," Cassandra said.  
  
"We all do. But do you actually think he will?" Ron asked.  
  
"Good point," replied Cassandra.  
  
"Still, it's nice to hope – and dream..." Harry trailed off.  
  
"Yeah, hoping and dreaming gets you nowhere sometimes..." Hermione said pointedly.  
  
"That doesn't mean it isn't a good thing," Harry replied.  
  
"What's this discussion for?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"I have no idea," Hermione replied.  
  
"Good, then I'm not the only one. Let's go back to Gryffindor Tower. I've got a sack of Chocolate Frogs that want to be opened," Cassandra said.  
  
"I don't think they want to be opened. I think you just want to open them," Hermione replied.  
  
"Same thing," said Cassandra laughing.  
  
They entered the common room, full of Gryffindors.  
  
"Hey you guys," Ginny called from behind Seamus and Dean.  
  
"Hey Ginny," Hermione and Cassandra sweetly replied back.  
  
Harry grinned and waved. Ron waved too, but his face didn't make Ginny go weak at the knees and blush.  
  
"Well, we've got a while till dinner. I don't think we should spoil it with those Frogs though," Hermione said.  
  
"Won't spoil my dinner," Cassandra insisted.  
  
"Mine either," said Ron.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
Harry laughed and took out the shining diamond from his robes. It was sparkling.  
  
"How is this supposed to give me a clue about the second task?" Harry muttered as Hermione went off to Ginny's side.  
  
He twirled it around in his hands.  
  
"Like this is going to tell me ALL about the second task, right? Well – there's got to be something about it. If only I could figure it out! Man! This is killing me!" Harry muttered.  
  
Suddenly there was a lot of commotion. There were a bunch of yells and hollers. Harry rolled his eyes and thought the first years were creating havoc again.  
  
But the noises got louder and they were coming towards Gryffindor Tower. The portrait hole swung open and Dennis Creevy came running inside.  
  
"Stop! Stop!" he yelled as some Slytherin students were throwing Filibuster Fireworks at his back.  
  
He ran inside and tripped over Harry's leg. Suddenly the diamond came crashing to the ground.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Harry yelled.  
  
Now what was he going to do?  
  
The End of the World... Or just the beginning, huh?  



	17. Dennis Creevy Makes It Up

Chapter Seventeen: Dennis Creevy Makes It Up  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Harry shouted.  
  
The diamond was shattered into a million pieces.  
  
Harry turned to Dennis and was ready to strangle him.  
  
"Uh, sorry?" Dennis said in a meek voice.  
  
"Sorry? I don't think that's going to help Dennis! You're in big trouble!" Harry said reaching for Dennis.  
  
Suddenly a brilliant flash of light came from the shattered diamond pieces. There was a ghost like voice that suddenly came and the light stayed flashing.  
  
"Congrats to you For you have found The secret which lay Hidden and sound This next task Is very high Go up there In the sky..."  
  
The light stopped flashing and the diamond instantly repaired it's self.  
  
Harry turned to Dennis and swallowed quickly.  
  
"Oh my god! Dennis! Dennis! What did you just do?" Harry exclaimed with his bright green eyes staring at the small boy crazily.  
  
"I – I dunno..." Dennis Creevy whispered staring up at Harry.  
  
Harry threw down the diamond and watched it shatter into pieces and recite the words in a ghostly voice again. His eyes almost fell out of his sockets. The diamond instantly repaired it's self again.  
  
Harry turned to Dennis Creevy and picked him up, dancing around the common room (which had fallen completely silent) happily. Finally Harry put Dennis down.  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Cassandra rushed over to Harry and they went to corner of the common room to talk.  
  
"This means..." Harry said calming down. "That the next task has to do with flying!"  
  
"Harry, you're brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed jumping up and down.  
  
"No, I'm not. Dennis is. He's the most idiotic boy I know – and he didn't even know what he was doing when he did it, but he's still pretty damn brilliant!" Harry exclaimed twirling the diamond around in his hands again.  
  
"That bloke actually did something worthwhile, I'm surprised," Ron admitted.  
  
"It was sweet of him to break a valuable thing," Cassandra added with a bright smile.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"I'm guessing it's a flying obstacle course and you have to make your way through it!" Hermione exclaimed with her eyes widening.  
  
"Exactly! This'll be a piece of cake for you Harry!" Ron said.  
  
"Well... as this is the Triwizard Championship, I'm guessing it's going to be a bit harder than I'd expect it to be... so I'd better get some practicing done at the Quidditch field if I want to stay in the lead! I can't believe this, my favorite thing is what the next task is all about, this is GREAT!" Harry exclaimed being very overwhelmed.  
  
"Yeah, it's too cool, and if you need any help, me and the rest of the Quidditch team will work with you!" Cassandra offered excitedly.  
  
"That'll be good. Yeah, I need all the help I can get to win this next task," said Harry.  
  
"I'll be rooting for you," Ginny said coming over. She turned a bright red.  
  
Harry looked up and grinned.  
  
"Thanks Ginny," he said, making Ginny blush uncontrollably.  
  
"Sure..." she trailed off.  
  
"Want to sit down?" Cassandra offered.  
  
"Okay, thanks," Ginny said sitting down on the ground beside the four seventh year students.  
  
"So... we've got a few more days until the weekend," Cassandra said.  
  
"I'll say," Ron said grumpily.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Hermione replied. "We've got tons to do."  
  
"Like what?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well... good point," Hermione replied annoyed.  
  
"So many days till Hogsmeade, I don't think I'll survive," Ginny said.  
  
"We can have fun on our own, right here at Hogwarts. We can play Chess!" Cassandra said, her eyes lighting up.  
  
"No thank you!" Hermione retorted with a giggle.  
  
They got into a conversation about how nasty Snape really was and before they knew it, it was almost time for dinner.  
  
They'd been having dinner rather late these days, it was mostly because the House Elves had to cook for so many extra guests. The sun had almost disappeared behind all the hills and it seemed as though all the wild animals scurried back into the Forbidden Forest to go to sleep. The sky was a great purple color and was slowing descending to gray, and then black.  
  
Hermione, Harry, Ron, Cassandra, and Ginny scurried over to the Great Hall and sat down behind shining gold plates. They were all empty but once everyone else had settled in, magically larger plates filled with bouilabaisse and other interesting foods.  
  
"Kidney pie again? I think I'm going to be sick," Hermione said groaning.  
  
"You stay with your salad. I'll take over here!" Cassandra exclaimed eagerly as she piled her plate with Kidney pudding.  
  
"I'm with her," Ron said to Harry as he dug into his salmon fillet.  
  
"They are pigs, that's all they are," Hermione whispered rolling her eyes.  
  
"I know," Harry said under his breath.  
  
On the other side of the table Nearly Head-less Nick was sitting with Seamus Finnigan and Ginny Weasley.  
  
"It's good that Harry got in the lead from the beginning," Nearly Head-less Nick commented.  
  
"Yeah, a Hogwarts victory would be no good, if Harry didn't win it. Who'd want Malfoy to win?" Ginny asked grumpily.  
  
"All of Slytherin," Seamus pointed out angrily.  
  
"Good point," Ginny replied.  
  
Further down Dean Thomas was trying to help Neville with his Astronomy homework.  
  
"You see Neville, it's rather simple. First comes Mercury..."  
  
"But, but, why is Venus hotter than Mercury if Mercury is closer to the sun?" Neville asked with a hand to his head.  
  
"Venus has gases inside of it that make it hotter than Mercury," Dean patiently explained.  
  
"I'm confused!" Neville groaned.  
  
Next to them Collin and Dennis Creevy were going on about the Giant Squid.  
  
"Guess what Collin?"  
  
"What Dennis?"  
  
"The Squid almost tried to eat me."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I know!"  
  
"And know what?"  
  
"I helped Harry figure out what the next task will be," Dennis said triumphantly.  
  
"I know! I can't believe it! One of us helped Harry!" Collin exclaimed, hopping up and down.  
  
"Creevy Brothers to the rescue!" Dennis exclaimed as he slapped five with Collin.  
  
Other students were going on about what the second task was going to be, to Harry it seemed as though no other Champion had yet figured it out.  
  
"So, what's for desert?" Cassandra asked eagerly.  
  
"The usual," Harry replied. "Dish after dish filled with ice cream, plate after plate with pies, cookies, lemon meringue, and large sticky cakes!"  
  
"I think I'm going to go on a diet – right after this meal," Hermione said laughing.  
  
"Take your time, because this ain't stopping until Beauxbatons and Durmstrang leaves!" Cassandra exclaimed as she took a large piece of Pumpkin pie.  
  
"I've never noticed this, but Pumpkin pie tastes really good with Pumpkin juice," Ron said.  
  
"Gee, I wonder why," Hermione teased. "Know what you guys should be? Food critics!"  
  
"Not a half bad idea," Cassandra said to Ron.  
  
"Well, I think I'm capable of more than that, I mean –"  
  
"Teasing Ron, teasing," Hermione replied laughing.  
  
Dumbledore finally dismissed everyone off to bed and they all went back to Gryffindor Tower. Cassandra and Hermione said good night to Harry and Ron and slipped on their night robes and stayed up trying on the clothes that Cassandra's mom had sent her last weekend.  
  
At last Cassandra turned her bed light off and whispered, "Sweet dreams."  
  
Then they both went to sleep.  
  
Tuesday flew by and Wednesday came bringing Divination along with it.  
  
Harry, Cassandra, and Ron waved bye to Hermione and stepped into the perfumed room. Lavender and Parvati were at Professor Trelawney's desk talking to her about planetary revolutions and counter-predictions right before class started. With a wave of her wand Professor Trelawney silenced the class.  
  
"Today, my children, we will be studying counter-predictions again. Would someone kindly tell the class what a counter-prediction is?" Trelawney said lazily.  
  
Parvati and Lavender's hands shot straight into the air.  
  
"Yes, Miss Patil?" Professor Trelawney said.  
  
"A counter-prediction is anything you see that shows you what will NOT happen," Parvati said, sounding very important.  
  
"Very good Miss Patil. And may I ask who knows what a Gardenia Leverechi is?" asked Professor Trelawney asked.  
  
Once again Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown's hands shot straight up.  
  
"Miss Brown, if you please," Trelawney mumbled as she fixed a vase of flowers.  
  
"A Gardenia Leverchi is a species of Tea Leaves, possibly one that we would further study with today," Lavender said pointedly.  
  
"Excellent Miss Brown. You're right on the dot! Today we will be working with the Gardenia Leverechi! This is a very rare type of Tea Leaf and we are most fortunate to get our hands on it!" Trelawney squeaked.  
  
Lavender and Parvati exchanged excited glances and scooted forward to get a good look at the leaves.  
  
"They look like the other tea leaves we've been using if you ask me," Ron muttered twirling his quill in the air.  
  
Professor Trelawney arched an eyebrow and faced Ron.  
  
"I believe that you are not very familiar with the true art of Divination," she muttered.  
  
"That's a surprise. I think I only figured that out the first day I was here," Ron retorted.  
  
Professor Trelawney was very upset by the end of class and made everyone do an extra assignment concerning outer planetary movements.  
  
"Good going Ron," Harry said as he got out of the burning room.  
  
"I don't care. She's such a moron!" Ron muttered.  
  
"Now Ron," Cassandra teased. "We don't speak about our teacher like that. You should know better."  
  
"I don't care! I really don't! I wish I was smart like Hermione and switched," Ron grumbled.  
  
"Don't worry about it. At least I'm here, right?" Cassandra said kissing him on the cheek quickly.  
  
"Well, yeah, but..." Ron trailed off.  
  
He wasn't completely convinced yet, even though Cassandra did make him feel a little bit better.  
  
"We've got Transfiguration next with Hermione too. Come on, let's go," Harry urged.  
  
"Someone's in a hurry..." Cassandra teased.  
  
Harry found himself turning red.  
  
"No. I just like Transfiguration – a lot."  
  
"That's right. You keep thinking that," Cassandra said.  
  
Ron burst out laughing, and Harry was turning redder yet.  
  
Hermione came up to them with a smile on her face.  
  
"No homework, yet again!" she said cheerfully.  
  
Then she looked at their annoyed faces.  
  
"Oh, did Trelawney assign something about – planets again?" she asked hiding a smirk.  
  
"Good guess," Harry mumbled.  
  
"Well, let's go to Transfiguration. Can't wait!" Hermione said eagerly.  
  
"Yeah, I bet you're so sick of not getting homework," Ron said.  
  
"Well, if truth be told... I like staying on top of things, and not having homework isn't very good for me. What if I forget all about quadratic equations?" Hermione asked horrified at the thought.  
  
"I don't think that will happen," Harry said.  
  
"I'm with him. You're too brilliant Hermione!" Cassandra offered.  
  
"Wow, that's a bit too much Cassie, but thanks anyway," Hermione said smiling.  
  
"Any time," Cassandra replied lazily.  
  
They grabbed seats in Transfiguration and waited for Professor McGonagall to begin the lesson.  
  
"Good morning class. Today we'll be working on Switching Spells, please try to get it correct this time Neville," Professor McGonagall said exasperated.  
  
Neville blushed and sunk into his seat, remembering when he accidentally got his ears put on a cactus. Professor McGonagall turned to the rest of the class again.  
  
"The N.E.W.T.S. are coming up for you now. This is the most important test of your lives, I hope that you are preparing for it," she said.  
  
Hermione looked fairly confident and smiled, while Harry, Ron, and Cassandra all exchanged guilty glances.  
  
"In any case, you might notice that your homework is increasing. It's all to keep you on your toes," McGonagall continued.  
  
Hermione suddenly frowned, probably thinking about Professor Vector and the homework absences from his class.  
  
"So, for the switching spells... Find a partner and start Transfigurate We'll be taking a box and changing it into a watch. You will be grading each other and pointing out mistakes. At the end of class, you will all each perform the Transfiguration for me once and I will grade you."  
  
Cassandra grabbed Hermione, and Harry paired up with Ron. They got two boxes and started changing things. Hermione obviously had lots to say about Cassandra's watch, but Cassandra didn't say a thing about Hermione's. Ron and Harry sort of just sat there and didn't critique at all, like most of the class.  
  
"I'm ready to see each of you individually now. Do I have any volunteers? Ah, Hermione, thank you," McGonagall said.  
  
Hermione performed the Transfiguration and McGonagall applauded.  
  
"I can't think of a thing wrong with it. Congratulations Miss Granger," McGonagall said cheerfully, giving Hermione another – usual – high compliment.  
  
Hermione blushed scarlet and went back to her seat.  
  
"Miss Taylor?" McGonagall asked.  
  
Cassandra stood up and performed the Transfiguration quickly.  
  
"Much better Cassandra Nicole, but try to make sure the watch isn't such a 3-D box, if you please. Mr. Weasley?"  
  
Ron shuffled up and turned the box into half a watch. McGonagall was very displeased.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, you're usually much better than this. What's gotten into you today? Half a watch? Try better next time. Potter?"  
  
Harry did the Transfiguration with ease and only had one mistake.  
  
"Try to make sure that the watch isn't pink on one end, and brown on the other Mr. Potter. Thank you. Next?"  
  
One by one, she called everyone up, and by the time she was done, the bell rang.  
  
"Class is dismissed. For homework, I'd like you to read about the Advanced Switching Spells. We will concentrate on those tomorrow, that is all."  
  
McGonagall flopped down on her chair as the Gryffindor Seventh Years ran to the Great Hall for lunch. 


	18. Dumbledore's Secret

Chapter Eighteen: Dumbledore's Secret  
  
Ginny sunk into her seat at the Great Hall. She absentmindedly put salt instead of sugar on her bread with butter and it tasted awful.  
  
"Yuck!" she exclaimed throwing the bread down.  
  
"Problems Ginny?" Hermione asked bewildered.  
  
"Oh, no. Nothing at all," Ginny replied.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders and got back in her seat. Hermione wasn't completely convinced but she decided it was better that she left Ginny by herself for a while.  
  
Ginny groaned as she saw Collin Creevy entering the Great Hall.  
  
"Hey Ginny!" Collin exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, hi Collin," Ginny said, trying to look as miserable as possible.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just go on, go on and do things away from me."  
  
"Okay..." Collin trailed off.  
  
Suddenly a much happier Ginny started putting sugar on her toast. And Hermione saw the whole thing.  
  
"He's just being nice you know," Hermione said.  
  
"Easy for you to say. You don't have ever class with him, I do," Ginny replied stubbornly.  
  
"I know guys, and I know that he's just being a good friend. Tell him what you're thinking too. If he still acts – the way he acts – then just tell him that you want to be friends. I don't think it should be too hard, considering that you're going out with Seamus right now. It should be a piece of cake! I think he'll get the point, and knowing Collin – well – eventually."  
  
Ginny lightened a bit.  
  
"Thanks. I think I'll try talking to him, it's better than avoiding him – which is getting rather hard, believe it or not."  
  
"I'll believe it," Hermione said heaving a sigh.  
  
She got up and went back to Harry, Ron, and Cassandra.  
  
"Ginny's in the middle of a love crisis," she informed them.  
  
"What? With who?"  
  
"Collin Creevy. He likes her, but she doesn't like him," Hermione supplied quickly.  
  
"Better Collin than Seamus. At least that's someone her age," Ron grumbled.  
  
"Yikes! Shouldn't have said anything, touchy subject," Hermione whispered to Cassandra.  
  
"Why?" Cassandra asked bewildered.  
  
"Ron thinks that Seamus is WAY too old for Ginny," Hermione replied quickly.  
  
Cassandra straightened up and looked at Ron.  
  
"Ginny doesn't tell you who to date, and you shouldn't tell her either, got that?" she said putting a pony tail in her black tresses.  
  
Ron turned scarlet and tried to smooth his hair down.  
  
"Okay, I guess..." he trailed off.  
  
Cassandra changed the subject.  
  
"We've got Doubles Astronomy with Ravenclaw next, so I'm going to freshen up. Come with me Hermione?" she asked holding a hand out.  
  
Hermione grabbed it. "Coming."  
  
They left Harry and Ron sitting with pieces of turkey in their mouths.  
  
"Okay..." Harry trailed off, swallowing.  
  
"That was rather abrupt, don't you think?" Ron asked finishing his sandwich.  
  
"Yeah..." Harry said getting up.  
  
He dusted a few crumbs off his shirt and walked to Dumbledore's office. His scar was hurting, and he remembered what Sirius had told him. If you scar hurts, go to Dumbledore. He started remembering what everyone said. Dumbledore's a good man, best Headmaster Hogwarts has had yet, I'd say... Harry shook his head as Hagrid's words floated around in his mind.  
  
Ron stared after Harry quizzically and started walking after him.  
  
"Where you going Harry?" Ron asked.  
  
"Dumbledore's office, now," Harry replied without hesitation.  
  
He started walking faster and faster, his heart was pounding with anticipation – he knew something was wrong, very wrong. He broke into a run and Ron struggled to catch up.  
  
Finally Harry reached the Gargoyle at the foot of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Lemon drop, Cockroach Cluster... why isn't this working? Why'd you have to freaking change it all the time!" Harry exclaimed angrily.  
  
"It won't be Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, he hates that," Harry muttered.  
  
To his amazement, that was the password. Harry entered the office, with Ron behind him. He heard low murmurs and walked around, trying to find the people whose voices he heard. He was getting closer and closer, he could make out Lupin, Dumbledore, and another man. He finally found the door, opened it, and to his amazement – he saw Sirius Black standing there, not looking a day older.  
  
"Sirius! My God Sirius! You're here, you're back!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
He couldn't help himself, and he instantly found himself running over to Sirius and giving him a hug. Then he shrugged his shoulders and moved away. Finally, when he calmed down, he noticed Lupin looking grave, and Dumbledore – in his bed.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore! Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
Dumbledore shifted around and managed to sit up. His voice was croaking and it took a heavy breath to speak each word.  
  
"Oh yes Harry. I'm quite fine, thank you for asking. And you?"  
  
"I'm okay – but what are you doing – like this?"  
  
"Never mind about me. Ah, Mr. Weasley! How might you be?" Dumbledore asked with his twinkling eyes moving to Ron.  
  
Ron was in shock. He saw his role model, the person he looked up to the most, right there in front of him, lying on his deathbed.  
  
"I – I..."  
  
"Don't worry Ron. I'm sure I'll be back to my old self. Of course, I'm growing old now, it happens to people, do not worry!" Dumbledore croaked cheerfully.  
  
Ron shook his head.  
  
"You can't die!"  
  
"Who said anything about death?" Dumbledore asked, smiling a generous smile.  
  
"You have to get better then!" Ron shouted.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, please do not worry on my behalf. Now, what is it you've come here to tell me? You must have had something to say, or you wouldn't have been late to – your next class. What is it? Astronomy, I believe?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Yes Professor. My scar's hurting again," Harry said.  
  
He felt so stupid saying it.  
  
"It is?" Sirius suddenly said.  
  
"Yeah," Harry replied.  
  
"We know what this means though already. Voldemort is obviously coming back to power," Lupin snapped.  
  
"What we don't know though, is what his next move is," Lupin added.  
  
"What do you mean? He wants to kill all Muggles. That's about it," Sirius said shortly. "And Harry."  
  
Lupin shot a nasty look at Sirius, making Harry burst out in anger.  
  
"You guys were best friends, okay? Don't start fighting now. I don't want it, and I pretty damn well know that my father wouldn't want it!" he shouted.  
  
Lupin and Black were instantly silenced at the mention of Harry's father.  
  
They both muttered what sounded like, "Sorry."  
  
"Come, come. Mr. Potter's right. We don't need to start fighting now. There is a problem though, possibly the reason Harry is feeling pain in his scar. I'm guessing that Voldemort can – sense – that I am dying, and he's getting ready to attack Harry. He knows that one of the main things standing in his way of – killing – Harry, is me. He knows that I will of course be protecting Harry as long as I am alive. If I weren't here when Harry was only in his first year, quite uncapable of facing Voldemort entirely on his own, then Harry could have died," Dumbledore said.  
  
"I'm not a baby anymore though. I can take care of myself, I don't need to be watched over all the time," Harry insisted.  
  
"You might think that, but I'm your Godfather, and your father wouldn't want me to just leave you all alone, and get killed by yourself," Sirius said.  
  
Another tremor of silence passed by with Harry's father's name.  
  
Harry put his hand over his face and drew it down to his chin, not knowing what to do.  
  
"When I die –" Dumbledore began.  
  
"You can't die!" Ron exclaimed dropping all his books in horror.  
  
"I assure you Mr. Weasley, I can very well die. But if you are implying that you do not wish for me to die, then neither do I Mr. Weasley, neither do I," Dumbledore replied gently.  
  
"Cheer up Ron. We've given him some medicine, he should be back to his old self in a few minutes, right in time for dinner. And Harry, don't you have the tournament to worry about?" Lupin asked smiling.  
  
"Yeah, yes sir. I do," Harry stammered. He had completely forgotten about the Triwizard Tournament.  
  
"How are you doing? Have you figured out the clue?" Sirius growled.  
  
"Yeah, I have," Harry replied.  
  
"Good," Sirius said.  
  
"Yes Mr. Potter. Very good. Now if you will all excuse me, I have an exceptionally full bladder that I would like to do off of, so, good day," Dumbledore said getting up.  
  
Before he reached the bath room he paused and said, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, as dinner starts in the tiniest amount of time, I suggest that you do not return to Astronomy and go to the Great Hall a few minutes early. There is no point in going to the Astronomy Towers now as the lesson has most likely already finished."  
  
"Thanks Professor," Ron whispered.  
  
"Yeah, well, we've got to go then," Harry mumbled.  
  
Dumbledore made way to the bathroom and Sirius and Lupin followed after Harry and Ron.  
  
"What are you guys doing, both of you? You'll be in serious trouble if any of the students see you!" Harry screeched.  
  
"Not to worry," Sirius said.  
  
"Good bye Harry, Ron," Lupin said.  
  
Then Sirius turned back into a shaggy black dog, and Lupin put a cloak over his face, and they exited Hogwarts together.  
  
Harry and Ron were heading back to the Great Hall when Harry could have sworn he heard someone say, "Win the tournament. Make your parents proud Harry..."  
  
And then the voice was gone.  



	19. The Second Task

Chapter Nineteen: The Second Task  
  
"Where were you guys?" Hermione scolded.  
  
"Yeah, I can't believe you skipped out on Astronomy," Cassandra said grinning.  
  
Ron was still shocked about Dumbledore, and Harry could have sworn that he heard that mysterious voice, possibly his imagination...  
  
"Hello? Anyone home?" Cassandra asked waving a hand in front of their faces.  
  
"Oh, yeah – we had to go to Dumbledore..." Harry trailed off.  
  
"Why?" Hermione asked.  
  
"My scar was hurting..."  
  
"It was? Oh no! What does this mean?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, for one thing," Ron said swallowing. "Dumbledore's dying."  
  
"What?" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"You can't be serious," Hermione whispered.  
  
"It's true," Harry told them, grabbing a salad.  
  
"I – I can't believe it. He was so healthy last night, and so much more, and this is just crazy!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Well, he should be better for tonight, but he's old Hermione, really old," Harry explained patiently.  
  
"Well I know that he's old. It states that in Hogwarts, A History... but he can't die!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Don't be stupid. Everyone dies," Harry muttered.  
  
"Oh yes, of course," Hermione whispered.  
  
Cassandra tried to save the day by quickly changing the subject.  
  
"Food anyone?"  
  
"I'm done eating," Harry snapped.  
  
"But you just had some salad. That's all! Don't you want anything else?" Hermione cried.  
  
"No," Harry said shortly.  
  
"I want to go to bed," he added.  
  
"You sure Harry?" Ron said hoarsely.  
  
"Yes," Harry curtly said, walking out of the Great Hall.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Cassandra exchanged bewildered glances.  
  
"I reckon he's just upset about – something..." Ron said.  
  
"Uh, sure, whatever," Hermione replied, unsatisfied.  
  
"I'm not that hungry either," she added, leaving the Great Hall almost at once.  
  
Hermione didn't know what she was doing, or why exactly she was doing it, but she ran to Gryffindor Tower and threw her bags down by her four poster and ran into the boy's dormitory.  
  
She saw Harry lying on his stomach, on his bed with a pillow over his head.  
  
"What do you think you were doing Harry?"  
  
"I don't know what you mean."  
  
"Don't play stupid. They don't know what's going on!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"How could you? They don't know about McGonagall and Lupin planning stuff with Dumbledore about you! They don't know that Voldemort is in serious power and is coming back, I mean, what do you think you are playing at?" Hermione shouted flinging a pillow at Harry.  
  
He caught it and jumped up.  
  
"Everyone expects me to be so strong, how can I? I can't do that, it's a bit hard you know!" he shouted back angrily.  
  
"Of course I know. Ok, right. Forget I said anything, and I'll forget you said anything. Let's just wait for Saturday now, okay?"  
  
"Fine with me."  
  
"Fine! Fine with me too!" Hermione said slamming the door shut as she ran into the girl's dormitory.  
  
Saturday came soon enough. Draco, Nigel, and Marci were all standing around nervously when Harry finally showed up on the Quidditch Field.  
  
"Right this way," Mr. Bagman said excitedly.  
  
He led them into the Gryffindor Quidditch locker room, where Percy, Professor Dumbledore, Madame Maxine, and Headmaster Timid were already seated.  
  
Headmaster Timid was clutching his cloak around himself very tightly. Harry thought it was odd because Timid had come from such a cold place, and he thought that Timid would obviously be used to it by now.  
  
Harry had been doing all the tricks he could possibly recall with Cassandra and Ron, as Hermione watched from the stands, working on her extra assignment for Transfiguration. Even Hermione thought that Harry had practiced enough for the Second Task, so she let Harry take a rest Friday night and they all ate a hearty meal at the Great Hall.  
  
Saturday morning the group hustled down to the Great Hall and ate an even bigger breakfast, preparing Harry for the Second Task.  
  
Harry thought he was ready enough and no more amount of practicing could stop him.  
  
"Have any of you figured out the clue?" Bagman asked excitedly.  
  
Draco spat bitterly on the ground, Nigel solemnly shook his head, and Marci Deseri gave a dramatic sigh and shook her head slightly.  
  
"And you Harry?" Bagman asked, a bit more excited.  
  
"A bit," Harry managed to say, biting his lip from laughing at Draco's shocked face.  
  
Bagman looked like Christmas came early.  
  
Must be holding another bet on me, Harry thought anxiously.  
  
"A bit? Well, that's something, ain't it?" Bagman asked.  
  
"Yes sir," Harry replied, now biting his tongue.  
  
"Well... I guess I had better introduce the rules of the Second Task to you now," Bagman started off saying.  
  
"You will each have a broom, we have already performed all tests capable to make sure that they are jinx free. You will fly through obstacles that we have provided for you, how well you go through them is how we will grade you, how brave you are, and what you do, thank you very much. We will go in order of who is first to last. Since there is a tie between Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Bastelle, you will have to flip a coin to determine who goes first, and Mr. Potter, you will go first, while Miss Deseri will go last. Good luck to you all!" Bagman exclaimed with his chubby cheeks turning red.  
  
Bagman walked out onto the Quidditch Field again and maginified his voice so he could speak to the whole of the crowd who was all worked up and shouting magnificently.  
  
"We're starting the second task now, yes. The first contestant is Mr. Harry Potter!" he boomed.  
  
Harry grabbed hold of his shiny Firebolt (they let him use it) and start flying about mid-air. Everyone was looking at him, and it was very nerve racking. Then he saw the obstacle course floating in the air. It was ferocious! There were little pixies bouncing from side to side (there were barriers from the obstacle), about five crazy Bludgers swinging around, and occasional bursts of fire from each of the barriers.  
  
Harry wrung his hands around his broom and heard Mr. Bagman shouted, "Start!"  
  
He dashed in through the barriers and missed the first Bludger to be shot at him.  
  
"He's off to an excellent start," Bagman commented.  
  
"Oh, shut up," Harry muttered as a laugh escaped his tense body.  
  
He swerved through the air and dodged a few more bludgers. Then suddenly, a bolt of fire shot at him and his robe caught on fire. Somehow he grabbed his wand and shouted, "Aquarestore!"  
  
A splash of water shot out of his wand and his robe was damp and a little bit burnt, but the fire had gone out. He was almost home free, but at the very last second he dodged a few pixies and a bludger shot at him, breaking his arm. He pulled himself to the finish line and then dropped on the ground.  
  
"Oh my god!" Cassandra yelled.  
  
"Is he okay?" Hermione screeched.  
  
"I reckon so, as he's getting up," Ron said laughing.  
  
Harry got up with his arm looking very disgusting indeed. It was turned upside down and a bone was stinking out. He managed a yelp and then a smile.  
  
"Are you all right?" Bagman yelled, running towards Harry.  
  
"Quite all right, thanks for asking," Harry muttered.  
  
"No, my arm's broken, can I go to Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked.  
  
"Sure, sure. Excellent job Harry. Let me take you there!" Mr. Bagman said running behind Harry.  
  
They walked into Madam Pomfrey's office and she immediately began tutting about how dangerous Bludgers were. She let Harry swa  



	20. The Yule Ball

Chapter Twenty: The Yule Ball  
  
Two weeks had quickly gone by, and it was time for the Yule Ball at last. No one was even near to being ready, although everyone had dates.   
  
Ron's newer dress robes, navy blue, had no frills what so ever. Mrs. Weasley took Harry shopping for another green one, as his last one wasn't fitting him very well anymore.  
  
Hermione and Cassandra were going crazy deciding what they were going to wear, or what they were going to do to their hair.  
  
"What if I wear my yellow robe?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Are you crazy? Navy blue with yellow, that would completely clash!" Hermione screeched laughing at the same time.  
  
She pushed her hair behind her ears and ran onto Cassandra's bed where they were gossiping.  
  
"What exactly would go good with olive green, I wonder..." Cassandra teased.  
  
"I'm thinking an emerald or amethyst robe, would that go well?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Have fun! I'm probably wearing my yellow robe and creating a scene."  
  
"I'm so surprised, really now," Hermione replied sarcastically.  
  
"You thought I wouldn't make a scene? You really don't know me then," Cassandra replied in mock shock.  
  
"I know you Cassandra, believe me, I know you," Hermione replied.  
  
"What will we do with our hair?" Cassandra screeched.  
  
"I don't know... we've got a few hours to decide..."  
  
"A few hours? Only?"  
  
"Relax, we've got six hours by my watch."  
  
"Six hours? That's not nearly enough to paint my nails, pick out a matching bag, pick a good robe – even though I'll probably be wearing my yellow one – put my hair in curlers, then do my hair, and so many other things! Are you crazy? We've got to start hurrying!" Cassandra exclaimed madly.  
  
"I think you're the one crazy. Calm down, we've got plenty of time, all right?" Hermione said firmly.  
  
"All right, all right..." Cassandra murmured as she rummaged through a stack of robes.  
  
They both took long showers first. Then they went back to the stack of selections. Hermione had managed to narrow her choices down to Amethyst, Emerald, Baby Blue, Light Pink, and Pale Orange. Cassandra was still deciding which shade of yellow would make it to her final choices.  
  
Finally Hermione decided on an emerald robe made entirely out of silk. She wore a silk spaghetti strap underneath her robe that was made of shiny emerald and had sequences attached to it. Then she was wearing a silky emerald skirt with slits that had sequences down at the bottom sparkling as she twirled around. She slipped on sparkling green heel sandals as she got out of her heavy dragon hide boots.  
  
In the meantime, Cassandra was gathering her flowing pink skirt and sticking it inside her frosty pink robes also made of silk. She was wearing a frosty pink, shiny material tube top (insisting on doing something crazy), and heels just like Hermione's, only they were hot pink.  
  
Hermione was painting Cassandra's nails bright pink while they were deciding what they would do with their hair. Once Hermione finished her nails emerald green, she spun around and sat in the chair in front of her dresser, ready to let Cassandra work her magic.  
  
Cassandra had her own hair in rollers as she pulled others out of Hermione's hair. Now Hermione's hair was rippling down her neck. Cassandra quickly pulled it up and put it into a high ponytail.  
  
"Oh my gosh no! I'm not going to the Yule Ball in a ponytail," Hermione said stamping her sandals up and down.  
  
"I'm not finished," Cassandra pointed out.  
  
She pulled parts of Hermione's hair loose from the ponytail and brought it down. Then she took the remaining bit and put it into a loop and attached a green clip so it would stay there.  
  
"It looks super," Hermione squealed as she put on some jewelry.  
  
"You're welcome," said Cassandra, taking the rollers out of her hair.  
  
Then she attached two clips to the sides (parting it down the middle) that were a light pink and slipped on hook earrings with pink pearls at the bottom.  
  
Finally they were ready to go.  
  
"Ready?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Sure am, let's see what Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley did," Hermione replied laughing.  
  
They walked out to the Common Room and saw most of the first through third years looking moderately glum (as they weren't allowed to go to the Yule Ball) and saw Ginny looking perky in a long purple robe and her hair put up very fancy.  
  
Hermione looked around for both Ron and Harry but saw neither, so Hermione and Cassandra both walked over to Ginny.  
  
"Hey Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"You look great!" Cassandra commented.  
  
"Thanks. I feel a bit weird," Ginny trailed off blushing.  
  
"Well, you look great! Who did your hair?" Hermione asked.  
  
Ginny blushed even harder.  
  
"I did," she said meekly.  
  
"You did? It's great! I couldn't even do that!" Cassandra exclaimed admiring it.  
  
"It was nothing, really..." Ginny trailed off.  
  
"It was something doll, it sure is something," Hermione replied friendly.  
  
"Who are you going with? Oh never mind, I shouldn't ask, Mr. Finnigan, huh?" Cassandra asked, making Ginny distinctively turn the color of a beet.  
  
Ginny hardly nodded as a loud shuffle of feet came thundering down from the boy's dormitories. Out popped Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville finishing his bow tie – somehow under those white robes.  
  
Harry was wearing olive green, Ron was of course a beautiful Navy Blue, Seamus had deep Burgundy, Dean had a Teal robe, and Neville was fiddling around in his White robe.  
  
Harry turned to Hermione, and she instantly melted.  
  
"You look beautiful," Harry said.  
  
Hermione could tell she was blushing.  
  
"Tha – tha – thank you. You look really good too," Hermione replied.  
  
Why was she feeling so nervous? She should be getting used to Harry by now, shouldn't she? Well... Something about Harry Potter made her get butterflies in her stomach and feel carefree, but her heart beat would start up, and something was just so special about him – something that other people didn't care about, they only cared about his defeat with Voldemort, and he was really so handsome – once you looked at him closely. His sweet attitude to everything was handsome. His gorgeous green eyes were handsome, and his crazy black hair was simply the icing to the cake.  
  
Dean Thomas walked up to Parvati and pecked her on the cheek as they left quickly. Parvati's long ocean blue robes swiftly left the Portrait Hole. Neville Longbottom presented Lavender with a flower. Lavender was wearing robes the color of her name. She decided it would be safer if she picked them up while she was walking, so as not to have Neville tripping all over them.  
  
"Are we ready?" Seamus asked.  
  
"You go along with Ginny. You guys need some special time," Cassandra teased gently.  
  
"Okay, thanks," Seamus replied as he walked off with Ginny.  
  
"Don't forget. The Champions start the Ball," Ron said with a grin.  
  
"I didn't," Harry replied, not managing to hide a smile.  
  
"Which band do you think will play today?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Sisqo?" Cassandra asked hopefully.  
  
"I doubt it. I'm thinking the Weird Sisters or Eye of Newt. Eye of Newt has some pretty good songs, Weird Sisters is like Ginny's favorite group. I don't get why though... Well, I suppose they're okay," Ron said, babbling on.  
  
Neither Hermione, nor Harry knew much about any of the Wizarding Groups, and from the expression on Cassandra's face, Harry figured that she didn't either.  
  
They rushed down to the Great Hall. It was amazing the instant they walked in there. Hermione didn't think she had ever seen the Great Hall so beautiful. It was magnificently lighted. The ceiling was a swirl of the lightest pink and the brightest gold. Candles were all around the Great Hall and all the doors had charms put on them to shimmer magically. All the Durmstrang students were wearing black robes, and Beauxbatons' students were dressed in the softest blue. The floor was a brilliant gold and there were expensive rugs lining the floor.  
  
All the teachers were positioned at the High Table. Professor McGonagall was wearing burgundy robes, her thin lips, but her hair was done up beautifully. Out of the corner of Hermione's eye, she saw a Warlock Band setting up. She decided that they were Eye of Newt and when Ron cried, "Yes! Eye of Newt!" she was positive.  
  
Madame Maxine had a shiny knob at the top of her neck and glittering necklaces.  
  
Headmaster Timid was looking as "timid" as ever in – still – black robes.  
  
Eye of Newt had finally gotten started.  
  
"See you in a few," Cassandra said winking.  
  
Hermione playfully slapped her and joined Harry in the center of the Great Hall.  
  
Eye of Newt was playing a dramatic piece to start off. Hermione and Harry glided across the stage. Across from them Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were dancing. Pansy was dressed in Shocking Pink robes with frills down the sides, and Malfoy was in Black Velvet with a polo collar, making him look more evil than ever.  
  
Nigel Bastelle was dancing with Padma Patil from Ravenclaw. Nigel was wearing a black robe like the other Durmstrang students, and Padma Patil was wearing luxurious fabric. Her robes were made of deep purple silk.  
  
Marci Deseri was with a Durmstrang boy that was very handsome indeed. Marci had flowing silver fabric wrapped around her. Once again, her beau was dressed in black robes.  
  
The lights kept changing magnificent colors and Hermione was looking around, seeing an interesting thing wherever she turned. Hermione even spotted a few fairies (human sized) floating around Dumbledore's beard.  
  
Then suddenly Hermione saw – Viktor Krum.  
  
"Hermione," Viktor said, pronouncing her name correctly.  
  
"Viktor! Oh my," Hermione replied shocked once she had finished the opening dance.  
  
"May I?" Viktor asked Harry.  
  
Harry nodded and went to sit down for a while.  
  
Viktor took Hermione and they started dancing.  
  
"Zo, how are you Hermione?" Viktor asked, accent still strong.  
  
"Well, I'm good. How about you?" Hermione asked nervously.  
  
"I'm very vell. Thank you for askeeng."  
  
"So, how's Quidditch?"  
  
"It iz vell, I suppose. We are to ve playing this month in vact. I see you have found ze happiness with ze Harry..."  
  
"Viktor. Don't go about it the wrong way. I still care for you, honestly. And please don't get mad when I say this, but you are like the older brother I've never had, really."  
  
"Though it pains me, that iz fine. I vant you to be happy Hermione, zat iz all I ask. Az long az you are happy, I am happy too."  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Good news Hermione. I've moved on az vell. I vill ve marrying ze Fleur Delacour in ze Spring."  
  
"Wow! That's great Viktor, I'm really happy for you."  
  
"You are ov course ze velcome. Az for your friends, zey are most velcome too. You may invite any von you vish. I vill send you an invitation vhen everything iz for sure. Thank you for ze dance Hermione, my little sister," Viktor said as the song ended.  
  
"Any time..." Hermione trailed off, lingering on his broad shoulders.  
  
And then Viktor disappeared amid the large crowd.  
  
Hermione decided to find Harry. She started walking around the band when a Warlock with bright black eyes started talking to her.  
  
"What's your name?" the young warlock asked.  
  
"If it's anything to you... Hermione. What's yours?"  
  
"Chandler Perry, after this is all over – ya' know – you wouldn't want to go do something afterwards... would yeh?"  
  
"Absolutely not! I've got someone already, thank you very much," Hermione snapped.  
  
She finally found Harry, Cassandra, and Ron sitting down with glasses of Butterbeer.  
  
"Did you have fun?" Harry asked grumpily.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione begged.  
  
"Only kidding," Harry replied with a peck on Hermione's soft cheek.  
  
"Good. Of all the nerve – one of the band members was hitting on me! Will you believe that? Hitting on me! Well, there you go Ron. Some favorite band," Hermione said coldly.  
  
Ron shrugged and winked at Cassandra.  
  
They all got up and danced again, kept on dancing until all of their faces were pink with exhaustion. Finally it was about one or so in the morning when Eye of Newt came to a stop. Cassandra insisted the she and Ron needed some private time and walked off with him.  
  
"Ron, you are the sweetest, most special, and funniest guy I've ever met," Cassandra said.  
  
Ron was turning bright red.  
  
"Now I mean that," Cassandra added playing with his hair.  
  
"I – I," Ron stammered.  
  
"I just thought I'd tell you that," Cassandra said.  
  
"I think you're beautiful," Ron said.  
  
"I know, I know darling," Cassandra replied laughing.  
  
Then she kissed Ron for a full ten seconds.  
  
Hermione was nervously standing with Harry. They were out on the grass, several feet away from the giant squid. Then they sat down. Hermione thought she felt an ant crawling up her leg.  
  
Nothing will spoil this perfect moment, she determinedly told herself.  
  
Harry lightly kissed her on the lips.  
  
"Thank you for such a wonderful night," Harry said.  
  
"Thank you Harry," Hermione replied leaning on his chest.  
  
"Christmas Break is almost here, will you believe it?"  
  
"Yeah, yes. We'll all be going to Ron's place."  
  
"It should be a riot, Percy getting married and all..."  
  
"Yes, but you can't act like idiots and spoil it all."  
  
"Do you think me and Ron would ever do something like that?"  
  
"No. I think you, Ron, AND Cassandra would do something like that."  
  
"Maybe I should have asked Parvati to the Ball, what do you think?"  
  
"I think you'd better keep your mouth shut if you don't want me to curse you."  
  
"Curse me? I don't know the meaning of curse. You're looking at the only survivor of the Killing Curse."  
  
"All I see is a big head full of air."  
  
"Thank you so very much."  
  
"You are so very welcome."  
  
They sat for a while in silence.  
  
"We had better get back, don't you think? Cassandra and Ron might be worrying."  
  
"I think we should be more worried about her," Hermione replied quickly. "Okay, let's go."  
  
They walked back inside, and there wasn't a single sound left except for the giant squid, which just had Christmas dinner early.  



	21. Percy's Big Wedding

Chapter Twenty-One: Percy's Big Wedding  
  
"I'll miss you!" Hermione exclaimed as she hugged Professor McGonagall tightly.  
  
Now they had become closer than ever, it was amazing how silly little fights could bring people together. Then again, the whole thing with the troll that Professor Quirrel had brought in, in their first year, caused Ron and Harry to be friends with Hermione in the first place, so Hermione could see how fights worked their charms.  
  
"I'll miss you too. Don't stay away too long darling," McGonagall replied giving Hermione one last squeeze.  
  
Hermione waved and got into the train compartment with Cassandra, Ron, and Harry.  
  
"I can't wait! A wedding! This is going to be so much fun, and so exciting!" Cassandra squealed as she braided Hermione's hair (who gave in reluctantly).  
  
Ron was looking glum.  
  
"Exciting, right..." he trailed off.  
  
"What? Aren't you excited?" Cassandra asked shocked.  
  
"Well, it's a wedding. It's Percy's wedding, come off of it, who wants to be at Percy's wedding?" Ron asked.  
  
"He's got a point," Harry replied.  
  
Hermione slapped him playfully on the shoulder.  
  
"You promised," Hermione scolded.  
  
"Okay, okay," Harry replied. Hermione turned to all of the as Cassandra tied her hair with a ribbon.  
  
"None of you can be goofing off. This is a special time for Percy, all right?"  
  
"I wouldn't goof off! I know a wedding is special, they are important!" Cassandra insisted.  
  
"Well, that's good. The rest of you better follow our example," Hermione told them.  
  
"We'll act responsibly. It's Fred and George you'll have to worry about," Ron said grinning.  
  
"Oh yeah! How's there Joke Shop going?" Harry asked with great interest.  
  
"Believe it or not, they've made a lot of money," Ron replied with a bigger grin.  
  
"Money from those fake wands? I don't believe it," Hermione said.  
  
"It's true," Ron told her.  
  
"Why would someone want to buy Canary Creams?" Hermione asked, still not satisfied with the idea of having a Joke Shop.  
  
"To play tricks on their friends. It's a riot. There are smaller versions of Fred and George everywhere that love playing tricks on their 'close ones'. It's hilarious, it is!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I think it's wrong," Hermione insisted.  
  
"You sound just like Percy..." Harry teased.  
  
"Do not!" Hermione retorted.  
  
Their compartment door was suddenly opened, and someone very unwelcome came inside – it was Malfoy.  
  
"Don't tell me somebody wanted you home this time Potter," he said sneering.  
  
"For your information, your mum must never want you home. All the time you're around her, she's got that look on her face. What is that she smells? Oh yes, dung, I forgot," Harry retorted coldly.  
  
"Lay off my mum Potter," Malfoy said.  
  
"Why don't you make me?" said Harry.  
  
Crabbe and Goyle appeared behind Malfoy, cracking their knuckles and grunting.  
  
"I really can't believe that somebody wanted those two boulders home either," Ron muttered.  
  
"Oh dear," Cassandra murmured sensing a fight.  
  
"You want to say something Taylor?" Malfoy asked coldly.  
  
"FYI I do. My name isn't Taylor. My name is Cassandra Nicole, Cassandra, or Cassie. So take your pick. Know what Draco? You must be too stupid to understand that. Must be why you call me Taylor all the time," Cassandra muttered.  
  
Malfoy swore under his breath and left the compartment.  
  
"Cassandra saves the day," Hermione teased.  
  
"Better than the Creevy brothers, ain't it?" Cassandra replied laughing.  
  
"Well, I dunno..." Hermione trailed off joking.  
  
"Why I outta!" Cassandra exclaimed with a fist in the air.  
  
"You wouldn't hurt a fly," Hermione replied.  
  
"Too true," Cassandra said, bringing her fist down.  
  
After a few packages of Chocolate Frogs, Hogwarts Express came to a stop and Mrs. Weasley greeted Ginny, Ron, Cassandra, Hermione, and Harry.  
  
"Hello children," Mrs. Weasley said happily.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, you don't know me, I'm sure, but just so there aren't any questions – My name is Cassandra Nicole Taylor. I'm Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny's friend. I came here from the United States of America, and I'm Muggle born. I think that about does it. Oh yeah, I'm in the seventh year, and I think your daughter is the sweetest thing!"  
  
Mrs. Weasley was a bit overwhelmed, but she took an instant liking to Cassandra.  
  
"Well, that's wonderful. Yes, yes, Ron's told me so much about you by Owls," Mrs. Weasley said happily.  
  
Ron turned bright red.  
  
"Mom..." he muttered.  
  
"Thank you so much Mrs. Weasley, for inviting us all to the wedding," Hermione said.  
  
"The pleasure is all mine Hermione. Now why don't you all get your stuff in the cars Arthur borrowed? Then we can go back to the Burrow," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
They all piled their luggage into one car, and everyone sat into the next one. They quickly arrived at the Burrow. Crookshanks instantly ran after the gnomes in the grass.  
  
"Looks like Crookshanks won't be bored," Hermione said laughing.  
  
"Will Bill and Charlie be here?" Harry asked eagerly.  
  
"Yes. They arrived yesterday, in fact," Mrs. Weasley replied.  
  
"How's Charlie doing with those dragons?" Harry asked.  
  
"Fine, and Bill still won't let me give his hair a little trim. He insists on cutting it himself, when he feels like it, that is," Mrs. Weasley said with a little frown.  
  
"Does he still have that earring?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, yes. That's another thing, a fang, oh honestly. Sometimes I don't understand that boy..." Mrs. Weasley trailed off.  
  
They entered the house.  
  
"Hermione and Cassandra can put their stuff in Ginny's room. You'll be staying there, and Harry will stay with Ron. You can put your stuff up now, and then we'll have dinner," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
Hermione and Cassandra followed Ginny up the stairs  
  
They dumped their trunks on the floor and rolled out sleeping bags.  
  
Ron and Harry walked to the back yard and saw Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George swinging around on brooms. Charlie was very good, Harry could readily tell.  
  
Bill's hair was just as long as last time, and Fred and George were a bit taller, and were in joyful spirits.  
  
"Hullo Ron! Harry!" Bill shouted.  
  
Charlie waved while Fred and George made faces – and then eventually waved.  
  
"Hey!" Harry shouted.  
  
Ron gave a feeble smile and sat down on the grass to watch.  
  
"Ron! Harry! Go put your stuff up," Mrs. Weasley reminded gently.  
  
They ran back into the house quickly and somehow managed to throw all their stuff into Ron's room and came back outside where the other four boys had stopped playing.  
  
"Percy's getting married! I never thought I'd see the day," Bill said laughing.  
  
"I know," Charlie replied.  
  
"Are you two married?" Harry asked suddenly.  
  
"Bill is, I'm not," Charlie said.  
  
"Cassandra would fix you up with someone for sure," Ron said.  
  
"Cassandra? Who's Cassandra?" Bill asked arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Ron's girlfriend," Harry spat out.  
  
"Oh really?" Charlie teased.  
  
"Is she here?" Fred asked.  
  
"Yes," Harry supplied for Ron, who was blushing like a beet.  
  
"What about Hermione, eh Harry? Did you two ever hit it off?" George asked.  
  
"They sure did!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
Harry turned pink.  
  
Fred slapped Harry on the back.  
  
"Good job," he said.  
  
"What about you two, eh?"  
  
"I'm dating Angelina Johnson," Fred said.  
  
"I'm with Katie Bell," George told them.  
  
"Who'd you marry Bill?" Harry asked.  
  
"A girl from Gringotts. She works with me in Africa. You'll see her soon. Her name is Chloe. She went to Beauxbatons – and no Ron – she isn't a veela, thank you very much," Bill said.  
  
"Well, I didn't say anything," Ron muttered with a pink tinge still hot on his face.  
  
Then Mrs. Weasley called, "Dinner!"  
  
They all raced back into the house and helped bring tables and chairs outside.  
  
"Arthur should be arriving any minute now with Percy. I do wonder where Penelope is," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
Just then Penelope popped into the room.  
  
"Hello Mrs. Weasley. Sorry, I was just in the Ministry of Magic office, and I saw Percy and Mr. Weasley. They should be coming any time now. Do you need any help with anything?" she asked breathlessly.  
  
Mrs. Weasley let her butter the bread as Percy and Mr. Weasley walked through the door.  
  
"Arthur! How was your day?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
"Fine, fine Molly. Did everyone get back safely?" Mr. Weasley asked with a tired look on his face.  
  
"Yes they did, and you haven't told me everything. Has Mad-Eye Moody been up to something again?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
"No, not him. Ali Bashir just tried to get some flying carpets in again. I don't know how many times I have told him to stay away from flying carpets. He just doesn't get the point! We had to erase a lot of memories. It was hard work. I'm lucky that I didn't have to work too late," Mr. Weasley muttered.  
  
"Good evening Mum. How was your day?" Percy asked shifting his glasses.  
  
"Very well, thank you. Put your bags down, go sit at the table. Bill! Bill! Chloe's here!" Mrs. Weasley hollered.  
  
Bill ran to the door and let Chloe kiss him on the cheek and come in.  
  
One by one Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Cassandra, Ginny, Fred, George, Percy, Penelope, Charlie, Bill, and Chloe managed to sit down at the table.  
  
Crookshanks was licking her paw after finishing a gnome off and Pig and Hedwig were eating their food with Hermes and Errol.  
  
"Dig in!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she opened the flaming pudding.  
  
Now the Weasley's weren't poor, in fact, they were one of the richer families in the wizarding world. They weren't like the Malfoys – quite – but with Bill and Charlie having prime jobs, Fred and George having a Joke Shop that made a lot of money, Percy holding a top post at the Ministry, and the 1,000 Galleons that Harry had given them (most of it gone to starting the Joke Shop, a bit of it for Ron's new robes, and the rest gone to Ron and Ginny for school and the household), they were doing fairly well.  
  
Everyone ate heartily, and desert was also fabulous. After dinner Bill, Chloe, Charlie, Percy, Penelope, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley stayed outside to talk. Fred and George said they needed to go up to their rooms to work on some new jokes. Ginny, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Cassandra went up to Ron's room (covered in Chudley Cannon stuff) and talked. It was finally one in the morning when Mrs. Weasley came up (a little bit dizzy from champagne) and told them to go to bed.  
  
Ron and Harry left the room and the three girls fell asleep. Everyone drifted away in their dreams until –  
  
"Wake up! Wake up! Wedding day!" Cassandra exclaimed gleefully.  
  
"What?" Ginny asked rubbing her eyes.  
  
"It's wedding day!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"I don't believe it," Hermione groaned, putting her pillow over her head and attempting to go back to sleep.  
  
"I think not!" Cassandra exclaimed pulling the pillow out of Hermione's reach. She dropped it on the ground and opened the curtains so that light filled the room.  
  
"I get the point," Ginny said grumpily as she walked out of the room.  
  
She grabbed her towel and entered the bathroom.  
  
"This is unbelievable? You've already showered and gotten dressed?" Hermione asked as she rolled over in her bed. "I feel like we switched places."  
  
Cassandra shrugged her shoulders and fixed her blouse.  
  
Hermione showered after Ginny and they were finally all dressed.  
  
Cassandra wore a pink blouse a black skirt with a slit at the side. Hermione was wearing a full sleeved white shirt and a three-quarter skirt. Ginny was wearing a long sleeveless blue dress. They met up with Chloe downstairs who was wearing a white sleeveless dress.  
  
"I can't wait to see Penelope! I bet she looks beautiful!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"She's wearing a dress made of pure white satin," Chloe said smiling.  
  
"I can't wait to see how she looks!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah," Hermione said with a feeble smile. She still hadn't completely woken up.  
  
A loud thunder down the stairs brought Ron and Harry. They were both dressed in black dress robes.  
  
They sat down and ate some toast and eggs. One by one everyone else was seated at the table (some people had to leave to make room for others). When breakfast had finally finished, they walked out to the back yard, which had magically transformed into empty field after field.  
  
None of them had seen the bride or groom yet.  
  
Finally Hermione, Cassandra, Chloe, and Ginny were allowed to see Penelope.  
  
She was very nervous, putting her veil on.  
  
"I can't believe that I'm about to be Mrs. Percy Weasley! It's so amazing, I was only in school a few years ago, and marriage is such a responsibility! I can't believe I'm even going through with this, great wizards!" Penelope exclaimed.  
  
"Calm down, it's no big deal," Chloe insisted.  
  
"Oh, but it is," Penelope replied with terror.  
  
Cassandra's eyes widened.  
  
"You look so beautiful!" she exclaimed fingering the soft satin.  
  
"Thanks," Penelope replied shyly.  
  
"You really do! I want to wear something as pretty as this when I get married," Ginny admitted.  
  
"To Seamus," Cassandra teased.  
  
Ginny blushed heavily.  
  
They left quickly and then the ceremony began.  
  
Through all the talking – they listened with rapt attention, then suddenly –   
  
"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride."  
  
Percy blushed.  
  
Penelope waited.  
  
Percy blushed harder.  
  
Penelope's face turned pink.  
  
"You may now kiss the bride..."  
  
Then Percy kissed Penelope quickly.  
  
"That is so sweet!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"I know!" Ginny agreed.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"You're turning into a miniature Cassandra. I think it's pretty awesome too, though. Percy getting married, I never thought I'd see the day," Hermione said.  
  
Percy shifted his glasses and then Mrs. Weasley brought out the huge cake.  
  
Ron practically ran over to it, and Mrs. Weasley started cutting slices.  
  
"I'm glad a lot of people weren't invited. More cake for us!" Ron said grabbing a huge slice.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes again.  
  
"That's so considerate of you Ron, really now," she scolded.  
  
Ron grinned and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, this cake is really good," Harry commented with a chunk of vanilla cake in his mouth.  
  
Mrs. Weasley smiled and said, "Why thank you Harry. You're so thoughtful."  
  
"Congrats Percy old pal," Fred said slapping him on the back.  
  
Percy looked hard at Fred.  
  
"Old pal?" he asked narrowing his eyes.  
  
"Of course! We've known you for such a long time! You're nothing but an old pal!" George exclaimed swinging his arm around Percy.  
  
Percy irritatedly shook George's arm off and turned to walk over to Penelope.  
  
"Well, I guess that's that," Hermione said.  
  
"Not quite," Cassandra said with a malicious grin.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron asked puzzled.  
  
"This Christmas Break isn't over yet. I personally arranged for us to have five tickets to New York City, and you can't refuse!"  



	22. The Dream

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Dream  
  
"What? Are you serious?" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Absolutely positively! You, me, Harry, Ron, and Ginny are going to be flying on an airplane out to my apartment for a week or so. We'll do the town, see the sights, and have a lot of fun. You just wait!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"I can't believe it! We're going to America!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"This is amazing," Harry said.  
  
"What's amazing?" Ginny asked coming up from behind them.  
  
"The fact that we're flying across the Atlantic Ocean to Cassandra's home!" Hermione exclaimed scooping Ginny up in a big sister like way.  
  
"I wouldn't say it's a home... more like a really crummy apartment. We don't go for any of those fancy places, since it's just me and my mom, but it's home for us, that's true," Cassandra said.  
  
So it was settled. They all ate a huge dinner and the next morning prepared to leave London.  
  
"Thank you so much Mrs. Weasley. I had a great time," Cassandra said giving Mrs. Weasley a huge hug.  
  
"Pleasure was all mine. I'm glad I met you," Mrs. Weasley replied.  
  
She was glad Ron had met such a sweet girl, as she called it (making Ron blush even harder).  
  
"The food, the wedding, the stay was all awesome. Thanks for having me Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said as she was hugged by Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"See you Mum," Ron said as he was being squeezed by his mom in a huge hug.  
  
"Bye Mum!" Ginny yelled.  
  
Mrs. Weasley put cupped Harry's face in her hands and kissed his on the forehead.  
  
"I hope I'll see you soon. Do stay safe Harry," she said.  
  
"Thanks Mrs. Weasley. I know I will. You've been a second mum to me, and I know I'll be safe as long as you're around," he replied sheepishly.  
  
Tears were brimming in Mrs. Weasley's eyes.  
  
"Have a good rest of holiday!" Bill shouted as the plane took off.  
  
"Your father would have been so excited to see this," Mrs. Weasley said to Charlie as the plane disappeared into a speck.  
  
Charlie grinning and they walked back to the taxi that took them to the Muggle World.  
  
"I still can't believe it," Hermione said strapping on her belt in the plane.  
  
"Well, consider it part of my Christmas present to you all," Cassandra replied.  
  
"This is so weird!" Ron exclaimed examining the aircraft.  
  
"I've seen airplanes before, but I've never been on one," Harry said.  
  
"Seriously?" Hermione asked, eyes widening.  
  
"Don't tell me you actually thought the Dursleys would ever let me have fun," Harry replied.  
  
"Good point," Hermione said opening a package of peanuts.  
  
"Seat belts... I've seen them in cars before," Ginny said excitedly.  
  
"I hope you and Ron can survive Muggle world as long as you're in New York," Cassandra told Ginny.  
  
"I think I'll manage with you and Hermione to help me around," Ginny replied.  
  
"Mmm, 'sweet of you," Hermione said nibbling on a peanut.  
  
"Mmm, 'yeah," Cassandra mumbled.  
  
Cassandra spent the rest of the flight trying to explain Muggle devices to Ron.  
  
"You should have taken Muggle Studies," Hermione said to Ron.  
  
"Nah, too much work," Ron replied.  
  
They finally landed in New York. Cassandra hired a taxi to take them to her apartment and they pushed and pulled all their luggage up to the third floor.  
  
"Mom! I'm home!" Cassandra shouted the moment she walked into the door.  
  
A large dog suddenly came to the door.  
  
"Down Roxee, down!" Cassandra commanded.  
  
"Mom's dog," she explained to the other four.  
  
"Mom!" she yelled again.  
  
Suddenly a middle aged women with long and curly back hair came to the front hall. She was wearing a bandana in her head, black leather pants, and a pink sleeveless shirt with a V-neck.  
  
"Cassandra Nicole," she shouted back. "How was your term?"  
  
"She's like a witch that isn't a witch, went back to the Muggle world, but she – well, you know," Cassandra explained to Hermione under her breath.  
  
Then she looked up at her mom.  
  
"It was good. I made a few friends and invited them to stay. I hope you don't mind," Cassandra said.  
  
"Nada. I'm okay with it. I've got to run though. I've got a date with Charlie," her mom said.  
  
"Which Charlie? Short Charlie? Tall Charlie? Charlie with a beer belly? Charlie with the tongue ring?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Neither. He's a bank accountant, Charlie McGillain, nice guy. We should be home by one or two tonight."  
  
"Don't stay out past twelve! That's your curfew mother."  
  
"Okay, fine. I'll tell him to cancel the Dance Hall," Cassandra's mom replied.  
  
Then she looked up at Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny.  
  
"Sorry, the place is a mess. Cassandra Nicole will show you around, and let you do the town. Ever been to New York?"  
  
"No. We've only really been in England and such," Hermione replied nervously.  
  
"Well then you'll have a lot to do. How long will you be staying?"  
  
"We're not sure," Ron admitted.  
  
"A while Mom, so Ron and Harry will be taking the Guest Room, and Ginny and Hermione will move in to my room while they're staying here," Cassandra said opening the refrigerator.  
  
"Great! Well, you can all call me Gabrielle. Anyway, I've really got to go. Nice meeting you all..."  
  
"No Mom! I haven't even introduced them to you yet! That would be Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry! Now you know them, scat!"  
  
Gabrielle left the apartment and Cassandra found four pairs of eyes looking dazed at her.  
  
"Curfew mother?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Cancel the Dance Hall?" Ginny said.  
  
"Scat?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Charlie with a beer belly?"  
  
"Oh Ron!" Cassandra exclaimed laughing.  
  
"Cassandra?" Hermione said arching an eyebrow.  
  
"That's just the way we are. Let's face it. My mom's crazier than I am!" Cassandra insisted getting cokes for everyone.  
  
"A TV!" Ron exclaimed. "My dad's seen these before!"  
  
"And so have I. Our Muggle Studies Professor brought one into our class one day," Ginny said.  
  
Ron made a face.  
  
Cassandra hit him with a pillow.  
  
"Don't be mean," she warned. "Or I'll set the dog on you."  
  
Everyone burst into giggles.  
  
"But you know – in the normal world we have cats, toads, rats, and owls, kapeesh?"  
  
"Kapeesh Ron," Cassandra replied.  
  
Hermione, Harry, and Ginny exchanged glances.  
  
"So, what would you like to do first?" Cassandra asked with a bright smile.  
  
"If you ask me, I just want to sit down and see what this TV thing does!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"We didn't ask you and –" Cassandra began.  
  
"Actually while Ron figures out what a TV does, I'd like to unpack and get some rest," Harry admitted.  
  
"Good idea," Hermione agreed.  
  
Ginny nodded her head. Cassandra frowned. She was clearly full of energy and bursting to use it.  
  
"Oh all right," Cassandra said passing everyone cokes.  
  
They all said thanks and sat down to watch the TV. In about another hour Cassandra announced that it was time for dinner. She went into the kitchen and told the rest of them to sit tight for a while. Curiousity got the better of Hermione and she ran in to see what Cassandra was up to.  
  
She entered the medium sized kitchen and saw Cassandra's hair put up in a cute but messy way. Cassandra was wearing an apron and trying to make – something – as it seemed. She had flour all over her face and her cheeks were pink with frustration.  
  
"What are you trying to do?" Hermione asked exasperated.  
  
"I'm trying to make some bread!" Cassandra groaned.  
  
She slid down to the floor.  
  
"Need some help?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yep," Cassandra replied.  
  
Hermione snapped her fingers in the air and Ginny rushed into the kitchen.  
  
"We're going to make some dinner," Hermione told Ginny.  
  
"Great," Ginny replied, who loved cooking.  
  
"But we won't be using any magic," Hermione added as she watched Ginny's face fall.  
  
"Oh, all right," Ginny finally said.  
  
They each started out with making a loaf of bread. They were making the dough with their hands when Hermione heard a, "Yeasteria!"  
  
She quickly flipped around and saw Ginny about to walk out of the room on her tiptoes and saw the batter magically turning into dough by itself.  
  
"Ginny!" Hermione shouted.  
  
Ginny turned around.  
  
"I guess you caught me, huh?" she said meekly.  
  
"You bet I did. Get back down, and try doing it the hard way," Hermione said.  
  
Ginny made a face. Then, to show that she was joking she smiled and sat back down.  
  
"Now what?" Cassandra asked when her black shirt had turned white.  
  
"Now I'll put them in the oven while we marinate the chicken. Do me a favor Cassandra and try to find the pasta or spaghetti," Hermione said as she opened the oven.  
  
"All set," she said as she turned the degree switch to 350.  
  
"Found it!" Cassandra exclaimed as she grabbed three or four packages of spaghetti in her hands.  
  
"Good. Get one of those cans of tomato sauce too," Hermione added.  
  
Cassandra presented it to Hermione looking as though she knew what Hermione was making.  
  
"Now get the other ingredients," Hermione said.  
  
"Which ones?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Everything else you need to make spaghetti..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Oh! Is that what we're making? I see..."  
  
Ginny put a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't start laughing. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling for help.  
  
"Very good Cassandra. Now you know what we're making so can you please get the bell peppers, onions, ginger, garlic, and a big spoon. Just plain tomato sauce is disgusting unless I add some stuff to it. And Ginny darling, get the spaghetti boiling – is the chicken done yet? What do you think... I'm not sure, it should be done," Hermione started listing thing after thing.  
  
Ginny and Cassandra groaned loudly.  
  
"No groaning!" Hermione scolded as Ron poked his head through the door.  
  
"What are we eating? Are you actually going to try and make food?"  
  
"Yes we are, and we're going to make – hopefully – some good food – provided that Cassandra doesn't spill that SAUCE all over the floor – so you just sit and wait!" Hermione replied haughtily.  
  
Ron grinned and went back to Harry.  
  
"Put the sauce on the stove," Hermione commanded to Ginny once the extra ingredients were spilled into the pot.  
  
"Cassandra, help me make a salad," she added quickly.  
  
Finally the sauce was finished, the spaghetti was boiled, the salad was made, the chicken was baked, and the bread was finished!  
  
Cassandra picked up a little bell and rang it into the air. She cleared her throat and loudly called, "Dinner!"  
  
Ron and Harry raced into the room. The dining table was magically lit with two large candles and the courses were all placed out nicely. They ate quickly, yet to their fill. Ron and Harry kept saying how unbelievable it was that the girls could up with something this good (all in play).  
  
"Well, I'd like to see you try and cook dinner tomorrow night," Ginny said.  
  
Ron exchanged glances with Harry.  
  
"In what lifetime?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't think it's a good idea... They'll probably burn the house down and glaze the floor," Hermione said.  
  
"Too true," Cassandra agreed laughing.  
  
They all started laughing, and before they knew it, they were all extremely tired.  
  
"Shall we go to bed? Tomorrow will be a long day," Cassandra said.  
  
"I suppose – yawn – so," Hermione replied.  
  
"Very well – yawn – then – yawn," Ginny said.  
  
Harry and Ron plain nodded and drifted off into the guest room, somehow.  
  
Hermione, Ginny, and Cassandra slipped into their night clothes and got into their beds (In Hermione and Ginny's case – sleeping bags) and fell asleep instantly.  
  
Suddenly Hermione found herself down on the flat floor of a forest.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked out loud, cutting into the silent night.  
  
She looked down and saw that she was wearing her pink satin night gown, but she saw the cursed bracelet on her hand.  
  
"What does this mean?" she shouted into the forest.  
  
There were tall trees gangling all over Hermione. The ground was covered in dirt and a small creek was flowing past her. The air was cold and harsh, and Hermione took in a huge breath each time. The wind was flying hard enough to suffocate anyone.  
  
The moon was shining bright over her, but apart from that she couldn't see much. Hermione shivered. She looked around to find a way to escape from the – the place she was in. A sudden thought struck her. Was she in the Forbidden Forest? Hermione coughed, trembled, and shivered some more. Then she started feeling dizzy. She looked up into the air and saw a – a cloak, was it? Yes! A cloak was simply flying in the air!  
  
Hermione grabbed it and slipped it on instantly. Ahh! Now she was feeling much warmer. She squeezed it around her body and starting searching for a path out of the forest. She began walking, and walking, and walking – when she saw something! But what could be lying on the ground like that? Hermione ran forward and saw a – a girl! That was exactly what it was! She saw a girl with dark red hair. It was long and rippling all around her. She had eyes – eyes so beautiful that you could stare into them forever. They were sparkling green eyes. Hermione tried to speak but no words came out. The girl was more or less her age. Finally the frail creature spoke.  
  
"Run, as far away as you possibly can! Run! Just run away from here!" the voice cried.  
  
Then Hermione suddenly knew who it was.  
  
"Lily?" she asked trembling harder than ever.  
  
Lily nodded carefully and her hair shook in the wind that was blowing so fiercely.  
  
"Why do I have to run?" Hermione asked nervously. She clutched her hands to her chest and shivered constantly.  
  
"Me and James – with the help of his friends – we'll hide from Tom! We won't let him get to us! And after all, why would he ever defeat us? James will protect me, and so will Dumbledore. Tom's plotting something. I know he is! If only – if only!" Lily cried.  
  
"If only what?" Hermione urged.  
  
"If only!" Lily cried again.  
  
Then Lily's mystical green eyes grew larger and she screamed.  
  
"Look out behind you!" Lily shouted.  
  
Hermione turned around, but before she could see what it was – she woke up!  
  
"Was that a dream? Oh god, Great Wizards! It was a dream! What did it mean though?" Hermione whispered to herself.  
  
Why did she have that dream? Was it some kind of message?  
  
Hermione looked at Cassandra and Ginny who were sound asleep. She pulled the covers over her head and tried to get some rest – before the next day began.  



	23. Three Little Fairies

Chapter Twenty-Three: Three Little Fairies  
  
Hermione finally awoke the next morning after managing to get some sleep. The dream was somewhat on her mind although she was trying to forget about it.  
  
She rolled over and opened her eyes. She didn't see Cassandra or Ginny in the room.  
  
Hermione yawned and stretched her arms for a long time. Then she got up, slipped on the first robe she could find, and kept it untied over her satin gown.  
  
She walked out of the room and into the kitchen, which smelt like eggs and – burnt – toast. Harry was the first to spot her.  
  
"Hey Hermione! You woke up a bit late today," he said with a smile.  
  
Hermione groaned and sat down in Harry's lap.  
  
"I'm teaching Ron how to cook," Ginny said brightly.  
  
"Ron's cooking? That must be why I smelt burnt toast," Hermione joked with a feeble smile.  
  
Ron stuck his tongue out.  
  
"Don't be a baby," Cassandra said smiling.  
  
Ron gave Cassandra a sarcastic smile and turned back to Ginny.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked Hermione, giving her shoulder a squeeze.  
  
"Nothing really, stupid dream," Hermione whispered under her breath.  
  
"Me too," Harry muttered before Cassandra could hear him.  
  
Hermione gave him a shocked look, but Harry threw her one that plainly said, "We'll talk later."  
  
Ginny passed out scrambled eggs on five plates. Then she pushed a platter of toast to the center, and added salt, pepper, butter, and jam to the table. She shouted a few quick magic words and orange juice began pouring itself into cups.  
  
"Well done Ginny," Harry said grinning.  
  
"Thanks Harry," Ginny replied blushing.  
  
As they ate, Cassandra began to talk about all these different sites to visit.  
  
"We should take a ferry out to..."  
  
Hermione got up from Harry's lap and sat down in a chair.  
  
"Sounds like we'll have a busy day then," Harry commented.  
  
"Yeah! We'll have so much fun!" Cassandra exclaimed enthusiastically.  
  
Ginny let the plates 'wash themselves' as everyone went to change. They all came out without robes and pointy wizard hats, which was definitely a surprise.  
  
Hermione was wearing a white full-sleeved shirt, a fleece sleeveless vest, and jeans. She had a white snowcap on her head and sparkling white mittens. Cassandra was wearing stockings, a mini-skirt (Hermione said she would freeze to death in the winter weather, but Cassandra argued that she'd look good), a full sleeved white polo with a sweat vest and a black snow cap with matching mittens. Ginny slipped on some jeans, a T-shirt, and a really cute sweater on top. She had a white cap with mittens.  
  
Harry and Ron were both in sweaters and jeans.  
  
Once they were all settled, they put on heavy jackets and walked into the sunny winter day. There was snow all over the ground and it was very chilly. The five of them quickly boarded the subways.  
  
"Know what?" Cassandra whispered excitedly to Hermione.  
  
"What?" Hermione whispered back.  
  
"There's a great photo shoot place here. The pictures won't move or anything, but if you go there, they'll dress you up super cute and you can do poses for your Christmas present for Harry!"  
  
"Awesome idea. Me, you, and Ginny can also do some group shoots!"  
  
They both turned to Ginny and eagerly told her their idea.  
  
"Wow! That's awesome! I'll send one to Seamus too!" Ginny happily said.  
  
"What are you three talking about?" Harry asked with a smile.  
  
"Oh... nothing," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Is that so?" Ron asked arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Perfectly and positively," Hermione replied flashing a bright smile.  
  
"I doubt it," Harry said.  
  
"Then you'll stay out of our business if you know what's good for you," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Oh, I'm so scared," Ron teased.  
  
"You should be," Ginny retorted jokingly.  
  
"Break it up, break it up," Hermione said laughing.  
  
~*~  
  
"He's completing his seventh year now. He should be ready."  
  
"Are you sure? I worried about him. Will he be safe?"  
  
"Stop worrying. Your little boy will be all right. It's time we made him a grown man."  
  
"Well, if you insist..."  
  
"You aren't having any second thoughts are you?"  
  
"No – Never!"  
  
"Good! Draco will now convert to the Dark Side, and he WILL help us as we triumph over the Muggles and all the Muggle loving fools in the world!"  
  
"Well, Lucius, if you suppose that it's the best thing to do –"  
  
"I'm right Narcissa! And even if I weren't, our lord would insist that I do this. The more power the better! Don't forget that! Call Draco now! Immediately! It's time we had a little talk!"  
  
~*~  
  
Harry suddenly touched his forehead again.  
  
"I wish I knew what it meant," he muttered to Hermione.  
  
"We know what it means!" Hermione whispered back.  
  
"I had a dream, if only I could tell you about it. I can't though, not now anyway," Harry replied.  
  
"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve," Cassandra said gleefully.  
  
"Ginny, Hermione, and myself will go buy presents in one place, and Ron and Harry can go off wherever they'd like. We'll all meet back here in five hours," Cassandra said.  
  
"Five hours?" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Well, yes! That's how long it will take us. Then we can walk around Time Square together," Cassandra said knowingly.  
  
Ron slapped a hand to his forehead.  
  
"All right then," he grumbled.  
  
"See you two later," Hermione said waving a hand.  
  
Harry and Ron waved and walked off in a different direction than the girls.  
  
"This is it girls!" Cassandra exclaimed in front of a very fancy store called 'Shoot Me'.  
  
Hermione guessed they must mean shooting a picture or film when they said shoot. She didn't think a place that took Glamour Shots should have had such a violent name, but all the same...  
  
Cassandra pulled Hermione and Ginny into the store and walked to the counter. A small petite lady with long brown hair and heavy mascara was sitting in a chair.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asked in a squeaky voice, reminding Hermione of Winky and Dobby.  
  
"We'd like to get some individual shoots done, and then some of us all together. Are you free right now?" Cassandra asked the lady.  
  
"We've got one photographer open right now, so you'll all be able to get dressed, but the photographer will take your pictures all one by one. Then you can get your groups done. It will take a while. Is that okay?" the lady asked.  
  
"We've got five hours. Will it be done by then?" Hermione asked, not being able to watch out for the time.  
  
"I think that will be perfect. Just go into Studio Four and the stylists will be with you shortly."  
  
Hermione, Cassandra, and Ginny found their way to Studio Four and there was a group of stylists sitting in front of dressers talking about Christmas shopping.  
  
Cassandra gave a cheery wave and they turned with bright smiles.  
  
Cassandra explained what the three girls wanted and soon the stylists were picking out clothes for them and their background.  
  
Their studio was covered in snow (Cassandra's idea) and they would be wearing two different out-fits. First they would be doing group shoots.  
  
The first out-fit they were wearing was Ginny's idea. They looked like little fairies. They were wearing sparkling things that were like swimsuits sort of. Their shoulders were bare of the shiny material and behind them were huge wings. Cassandra was wearing a sparkling blue, Hermione was shiny purple, and Ginny was in dazzling green. They put cute little crowns in their hair and started playing in the fake snow and posing for the camera. They had a barrel of laughs over that. Each girl was wearing eyeliner the shade of her suits and eyeshadow the same. Their cheeks were rosy with blush and frosty lip-gloss did the final touches.  
  
When those shoots were taken, they slipped into Hermione's choice of clothing. Cute little mini skirts with stockings full sleeved white polo shirts, and of course – sweater vests. They put on cute little hats and started posing again.  
  
Then the photographer took them one by one for an individual shoot in both out-fits. At last they were completely finished and went to go pick out frames.  
  
Hermione picked out quite a few. She got two identical ones in silver for Ginny and Cassandra for the group shoots. Then she got two of the same for Ron and Harry, only they didn't have as much glitter sparkled all over them. The frames that she got had two picture slots, one for each of the group shoots. Then Hermione got one with her sweater vest out-fit. It was a black frame. Hermione knew she was going to give it to McGonagall. Then she picked out a beautiful silver frame sparkling to the very last touch. There were two slots side by side. Hermione put one in her sweater vest and the other of her in her fairy suit. This one, she was going to give to Harry. She picked her 12 favorite pictures and got a calendar made (quick and easy) to post in her room for the New Year. Then she collected all the pictures and started looking at them with Cassandra and Ginny.  
  
They all had the same copies and Hermione wanted to look at each one carefully while Ginny and Cassandra were saying, "Look at this one!" and, "See how cute this is?"  
  
At last they had big bulging bags of frames and all the pictures and walked out to the bench that they were to meet at. Harry and Ron were already there.  
  
"What did you guys get?" Harry asked eyeing the bags.  
  
"Something special. Your bags are so small! Guess you don't think that much of us," Cassandra said sighing.  
  
"Don't worry. We got something special too," Ron said with a smile.  
  
"Well, what do you want to do now?" Harry asked.  
  
"Shop of course," Cassandra said, as if that was the silliest question to ask – ever.  
  
"Why didn't you think of that Harry? Of course we have to go shopping," Ron said sarcastically.  
  
Cassandra playfully punched him in the stomach and they walked to the Tommy Store.  
  
"You can hold this, and this, and this – if you don't mind."  
  
"No Cassandra, we don't mind holding all your shopping bags at all," Ron replied.  
  
"Oh thanks," Cassandra said with a sweet smile.  
  
Finally they were all done shopping. They were ALL holding bag after bag filled with stuff, even though Harry and Ron bought nothing else but apples dipped in caramel.  
  
"I think that was a good day," Cassandra said as they entered her apartment.  
  
"I'm bushed!" Ron exclaimed as he dropped onto a sofa.  
  
"Aren't we all," Hermione said. "Aren't we all."  



	24. Christmas Eve

Chapter Twenty-Four: Christmas Eve  
  
Before everyone went to sleep, Harry asked Hermione to wake up at five and meet him in the family room. Before she asked why, she knew.  
  
That night she hardly slept, looking at Cassandra's clock constantly, waiting for it to tick to five. One by one the hours passed by. As five crept around the corner, Hermione slipped on a fleece bathrobe and her slippers (managing not to trod over Crookshanks). She quietly walked out of Cassandra's bedroom and entered the Hall.  
  
Harry was already sitting on one of the couches. He was half asleep, but once Hermione came he gestured for her to sit down.  
  
Hermione sat down next to Harry. She looked him in the eye and said, "Tell me about your dream."  
  
Harry took a deep breath and began.  
  
"It makes me think that Malfoy's going to turn to the dark side as soon as possible. His mum and dad, Lucius and Narcissa – in my dream that is... they were talking about Malfoy converting as soon as he left Hogwarts. I figure that Crabbe and Goyle are also going to convert, along with any other Slytherin whose dad or mum is a Death Eater. In my dream – and we very well know that most of the time I have a dream it means something – Malfoy's mum was about to call Malfoy and talk to him. I reckon it was probably about converting," Harry said thoughtfully.  
  
"I bet he's happy about it," Hermione replied grimly.  
  
"Voldemort's getting as many people as he can on his side. That crook!" Harry exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Quiet! You'll wake the others," Hermione said.  
  
Harry stroked her cheek softly.  
  
"Yeah, well. We need to get an army too. If that's what Voldemort does, then we'll have to do it too. We need to be stronger that Voldemort every step of the way," he said.  
  
"You do have a knack for your dreams coming true. Just to be on the safe side, let's say that Draco's turning dark," Hermione replied.  
  
"Okay, do you want to go back to sleep?" Harry asked.  
  
"Not really," Hermione replied.  
  
But in the end they both fell asleep on the couch.  
  
~*~  
  
"You have to!"  
  
"But how? I don't understand? What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Do you want to be punished?"  
  
"I've never been punished. Are you crazy?"  
  
"We need you! You are NOT about to be a Muggle lover."  
  
"I know that father, please! I'd do anything besides that!"  
  
"Then you're going to convert!"  
  
"Please Lucius! Don't be so hard on him!"  
  
"Silence Narcissa! Our lord will not take him lightly if he keeps this up!"  
  
"Please father! Don't hurt me!"  
  
"You did horribly today. You didn't do anything! You wouldn't even help us kill, let alone kill anyone your self! What you did today is embarassing! I'm taking you to the lord right now. We'll see what he has to say about it!"  
  
"No Lucius! Please don't let him get hurt!"  
  
"Please father! Please!"  
  
"You're going to be punished! Do you hear me? You're going to be punished!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Great Wizards! Harry! You're shaking all over!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed again.  
  
Finally Harry woke up.  
  
"I had another dream," he managed to blurt out.  
  
Then he gave a grim smile.  
  
"Malfoy doesn't seem to be getting into this Dark Arts thing to well," he said before launching into an explanation of what he just dreamed.  
  
"That's so creepy," Hermione replied shakily.  
  
"Tell me about it," Harry said.  
  
"Well, the others should be waking up any time now..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"And it's Christmas Eve," Harry added.  
  
"Did you wrap all your presents?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes. They're all safe and hidden. What about you?"  
  
"You know how I am about Christmas. No one sees the presents until the day of," Hermione replied.  
  
"Okay, okay," Harry said, mimicking a little boy, now very disappointed that he wouldn't be getting ice cream.  
  
"Look on the bright side, as soon as midnight comes we'll be able to open the presents. And look at the tree Gabrielle put up," Hermione said, noticing a heavily decorated tree for the first time.  
  
Harry looked up.  
  
"It looks great," he said.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Is that Cassandra?" Hermione asked suddenly.  
  
A figure was standing at the doorway, rubbing her eyes, with her raven hair all over her face.  
  
"Hi Cassandra," Hermione said.  
  
Cassandra moved the hair out of her face and put on a weak smile.  
  
"Hello all. It's Christmas Eve. I think I'm going back to bed now," Cassandra replied.  
  
"I don't think she's awake," Hermione whispered to Harry uneasily.  
  
Harry shrugged his shoulders and covered his mouth to keep from laughing.  
  
Cassandra flopped down on a couch and began to snore.  
  
"Why don't we get dressed?" Hermione said.  
  
"Mm, good idea," Harry mumbled.  
  
Hermione took a quick shower without waking Ginny. She lied fast asleep in the sleeping bag, looking angelic. Hermione put on a full sleeved shirt that was a soft purple and a pair of overalls. Then she almost put on a robe, so use to wearing one, but left it in the room and brushed her teeth. She finished getting dressed, clamped her powder shut, and walked out of the room.  
  
Harry was in the kitchen making tea.  
  
"Did you know that Green Tea is very good for you?" Hermione asked, full of knowledge as usual.  
  
"There's something called Green Tea?" Harry asked with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed with disbelief.  
  
"Only kidding," Harry said grinning.  
  
"Here you go," he added handing Hermione a warm cup of tea.  
  
"Mm, thanks," she replied taking a nice warm sip.  
  
She walked around the kitchen and opened the blinds to let light in.  
  
"Cassandra, Ginny, and I are going to have so much stuff to do today! We're going to make hot cocoa, gingerbread cookies, and so much more! I'm going to have a quick bowl of cereal and get to work."  
  
"Hope you have fun. I reckon me and Ron will play Wizard Chess, build a card castle out of an Exploding Snap deck or something."  
  
"You do that. No peeking at the presents though."  
  
"We haven't even laid them out."  
  
"I know, but we will soon. As soon as everyone else wakes up," Hermione replied just as Ginny walked through the door.  
  
"Did someone call for me?" she asked flopping into Hermione's arms and giving her a smile and a hug.  
  
"Sure did. Go wake up your brother. Cassandra's in the family room. Just shake her or something. I want to set the presents out," Hermione replied.  
  
A few minutes later, everyone was in the kitchen.  
  
"So, how exactly are we going to do this?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Each of us is going to go into the Family Room and put our presents down however we want to. Then, if you've got any presents for anyone back at Hogwarts, then give them to me and I'll send them off by Express Owl," Hermione said.  
  
"Who'll go first?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I will!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
She ran into her room and grabbed a truckload of presents. Then she scurried off to the Christmas Tree.  
  
Once everyone else had gone, Hermione walked into the Family Room with her stash of presents. None of her presents were wrapped. Instead she bought pretty bags and filled them with colorful tissue. She gave everyone framed pictures that she had picked out for them at the studio. Then she gave Ginny and Cassandra bulging bags of Honeydukes Sweets. She also threw in a scarlet cloak that was embroidered with the Hogwarts seal and had their names underneath it. She gave Ron a Chudley Cannons poster that moved and an assortment of Zonkos Tricks and some Hogsmeade candy. Last but definitely not least, she gave Harry a huge supply of Honeydukes and Zonkos stuff. Then she gave him a book called 'Facts about the Firebolt'.  
  
"Hurry up Hermione! You're taking forever!" Cassandra called.  
  
"Yeah, I want to get started on the ginger bread men!" Ginny hollered.  
  
"Coming, coming," Hermione replied quickly.  
  
She quickly made the tree look presentable and stood up, surveying it one last time.  
  
Suddenly she heard a loud noise!  
  
"Aaaaaaaargh!" she heard someone yell.  
  
Hermione was certain that it was Ginny's voice.  
  
She ran into the kitchen to see what was wrong.  
  
  



	25. Back To Hogwarts

Chapter Twenty-Five: Back To Hogwarts  
  
Ginny was down on the floor holding her foot.  
  
"Oh my gosh Ginny! What happened?" Hermione cried.  
  
Ginny bit her lip to stop from screaming and Cassandra explained.  
  
"A deck of Exploding Snap decided to have fun and heated the stove up. A huge pot landed on Ginny's foot."  
  
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, heaving a sigh of relief that it wasn't anything too serious.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. My foot hurts a lot though," Ginny replied softly.  
  
She was still clutching her foot.  
  
"Why don't we put some ice on it?" Cassandra offered.  
  
"Good idea. Could you get some please?" Hermione asked.  
  
Cassandra nodded and returned in a few quick seconds with ice wrapped up in a handkerchief.  
  
"Just put it on the spot that hurts," Hermione ordered.  
  
"It's cold," Ginny replied.  
  
"That's why it's ice," Cassandra said managing a feeble smile.  
  
"At least it wasn't too serious. Just sit down for a few seconds and let the swelling go down," Hermione said.  
  
"Okay," Ginny replied, still rubbing the sore spot.  
  
At night all the Christmas lights were lit around the rooms. They sipped eggnog again and ate cookies, cake, and turkey with all the trimmings. Finally it was time to open the presents. They sat down in the Family Room, looking at the tree, and sipping eggnog. In a few seconds they would get to open their presents. Cassandra was counting down the seconds till midnight.  
  
"Five...four...three...two...one... It's Christmas!" she shouted.  
  
"Merry Christmas everybody!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Everyone shouted Merry Christmas and grabbed the box (or bag) closest to them with their name on it.  
  
"Oh, it's super!" Cassandra exclaimed, turning the cloak around that Hermione had given her.  
  
"Thank you so much. It really is cute!" Ginny agreed.  
  
Hermione smiled glad the presents she gave them were likable. She turned to the large tree and picked out a fairly large package that said from Ginny to Hermione. She unwrapped it and saw a cat grooming kit.  
  
"Oh, thanks!" she exclaimed giving Ginny a hug.  
  
She picked up another package. This one was from Ron. There was a huge amount of Honeydukes candy bottles of Butterbeer in a basket with Easter fillings inside.  
  
"Thank you Ron. It's cute," Hermione told him.  
  
He nodded and then shouted, "Awesome!" as he unwrapped the Chudley Cannons poster.  
  
Cassandra opened up the Honeydukes bag from Hermione at the same time Ginny did.  
  
"Sweets! Way to get me hyper," she said with a smile.  
  
"Thank you Hermione," Ginny said.  
  
"You're welcome," Hermione replied.  
  
Hermione took another bag and saw a framed picture of Ginny in her fairy suit sitting down in the snowy background.  
  
"You look so cute," Hermione said.  
  
"I know, doesn't she?" said Cassandra.  
  
Ginny blushed. "It's a bad picture of me. Then again, when do I ever look good?"  
  
"All the time," Cassandra said giving Ginny a huge hug.  
  
"I'll take your word for it," Ginny said laughing.  
  
Hermione opened up a framed picture of Cassandra in the polo shirt suit standing up with her arms spread out into the air and a huge smile.  
  
"Uggh! What was I thinking in that pose?" Cassandra asked coming over to Hermione and looking at the picture.  
  
"I think you look cute," Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Cassandra replied with a smile.  
  
Hermione was just about to open another package from Cassandra when Harry whispered in her ear, "You look beautiful in these pictures."  
  
Hermione blushed quickly.  
  
"Really? Thanks. I hoped you'd like them," she replied nervously.  
  
"I do," he whispered.  
  
Hermione fiddled with Cassandra's package (still thinking about Harry's soft words and his sweet breath) for a few seconds and then opened it up.  
  
There was a silky dress robe inside it made of a very pretty blue.  
  
"Oh! It's gorgeous!" she exclaimed to Cassandra.  
  
Ginny held up an equally beautiful one in dazzling silver.  
  
"Oh, thanks so much Cassandra!" she squealed happily.  
  
Cassandra flashed a bright smile and opened up a present from Ron.  
  
Finally Hermione came upon a present from Harry.  
  
She picked it up carefully. It was a small box (probably jewelry she thought) and had exaggerated ribbon tied all around it. Hermione slowly unwrapped the box once she got all the ribbon off. She opened it carefully and saw a beautiful necklace wrapped up with tissue. She gasped. Hermione pulled the whole necklace out and saw a shiny stone hanging on the silver chain. It was a small stone, in a reddish brown color. It was smooth all the way around and was very pretty.  
  
Hermione looked at Harry who smiled and said, "It isn't the Sorcerer's Stone, but it's a part of me that will always be with you."  
  
Hermione put her arms around Harry and gave him a well-deserved hug.  
  
"Thanks Harry. It's beautiful," she replied simply thinking how alike he and his father were.  
  
Harry put the necklace on Hermione and then they threw all the wrapping paper in the trash.  
  
"What time is it?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I think about one," Cassandra replied.  
  
"One in the morning?" Hermione squealed.  
  
"I don't think we'll be getting anymore sleep," Ron said.  
  
"I agree," said Ginny.  
  
"Why don't we go back to Hogwarts?" Cassandra suggested.  
  
"Now? Do we have tickets or anything?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, actually I have five tickets for a three AM flight to London so we'd better get ready," Cassandra replied with a smile.  
  
"You really must be majoring in Divination Cassi! Who else would have planned everything so perfectly?" Hermione said laughing.  
  
"No one. I'm perfect, don't you know that already?" Cassandra asked seriously.  
  
"So much for modesty," Ron teased.  
  
"Well, let's change and get a taxi to the airport," Hermione said, acting like an adult again.  
  
"I don't know what we'd do without you," Ginny said.  
  
"Funny, I think that myself," Hermione joked.  
  
"Now who's being modest?" Cassandra teased.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes trying to hide giggles and left the room to change.  
  
~*~  
  
"Bring him to me – now."  
  
"Yes, my lord."  
  
"You said he'd be easy to train. You said he'd do as you asked."  
  
"My lord, I do not know what has overcome him. I'm sure he will do better next time."  
  
"He had better, or he will be punished much worse than this time. Bring him to me now!"  
  
"Yes, my lord."  
  
Lucius Malfoy left the room quickly for two reasons. One was to get Draco, and the other was to escape from the nerve-racking eyes of the Dark Lord.  
  
~*~  
  
"Yes Ron. That button calls for attendance and that ones the light. I think you're getting the hang of this," Cassandra joked in the airplane.  
  
Hermione fell asleep on Harry's shoulder and Ginny could barely stay up.  
  
"You party poopers! Oh come on! You don't need to sleep!" Cassandra insisted.  
  
"Everyone else on this flying car is," Ron reminded her.  
  
Cassandra pouted.  
  
"Why don't you – yawn – take a quick nap. That's what I'm going to – yawn – do," Ginny suggested as Ron fell asleep.  
  
"Might as well, the rest of you are dead gone already," Cassandra replied.  
  
She leaned back on the seat and fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
"We're just in time for the Boxing Day feast!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Since when are you so excited about food missy?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"It's not the food I'm talking about. I just like it when Hogwarts looks so pretty and stuff. Anyway, this dorm looks so homey. I'm putting my stuff down and going to see McGonagall for a while. I need to talk to her," Hermione said.  
  
She left the room after fixing her hair and went to McGonagall's office with a large bag in her hand.  
  
McGonagall rushed to the door as she saw Hermione's face.  
  
"You came back early! I'm so glad!" she exclaimed letting Hermione in.  
  
Hermione entered the cold office shuddering (there were way too many bad memories from being in there).  
  
"So, how was your trip?" McGonagall asked.  
  
Hermione sat for about fifteen minutes giving McGonagall the highlights of the trip, including Percy's Wedding and the photo shoot.  
  
"So I have a little something for you," Hermione finished holding out the bag.  
  
"You do? You shouldn't have. What is it?"  
  
"Open it up and see for your self."  
  
Professor McGonagall took the bag from Hermione's hands and pulled out the solid black frame from all the tissue. Hermione's smiling picture was in the center of the frame.  
  
"It doesn't move – but it's beautiful," Professor McGonagall said smiling.  
  
"Thanks! So, what's been going on at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.  
  
"The usual, the usual. We've just been enjoying the Christmas Holidays. The Boxing Day Feast will start in an hour if you'd like to freshen up, but that's about it. Oh, before I forget, here's a package of things from people that were mailed here," McGonagall said handing Hermione a bulging bag.  
  
"They are for you, Ron, Harry, Cassandra Nicole, and Ginny. I've got to get ready now, thank you for stopping by. The picture was really lovely."  
  
Hermione went to the girl's dormitory and put on her scarlet cloak on top of jeans and a sweater. She tied her dragon boots up around her ankles and walked out into the common room. Hermione left the package on her bed and walked to the Great Hall with her friends.  
  
When everyone was settled in the Great Hall, the ceiling was painted a starry night and the walls were all sparkling red. In the center of the Hall was an enormous Christmas tree with jingling bells, ornaments, and a charm that made the tinsel change colors frequently.  
  
Hermione, Cassandra, Harry, and Ron all ate heartily and raced back to Gryffindor Tower to see what was in the package that Professor McGonagall gave Hermione earlier.  
  
"Should've known! Weasley Sweaters and Hagrid's usual Honeydukes stash," Ron said smiling.  
  
"Oh! Your mom made me one too! That's so thoughtful of her," Cassandra said.  
  
"Yeah Ron, tell your mom thanks," said Hermione looking at her light pink sweater.  
  
They sat by the fire (in the almost empty common room due to Christmas Break) and munched on Hagrid's candy supply. The evening then turned into night, which turned into – somehow the very last day before classes would start again.  
  
Late that evening, very late, McGonagall had sent for Hermione. Hermione looked at her clock. It was midnight! Hermione was worried.  
  
Why would McGonagall be calling me so late?  
  
Hermione slipped on her cloak and went to Professor McGonagall's office instantly.  
  
The door was open to her office and Hermione walked in with a quick tap on the door.  
  
She saw the look on McGonagall's face. The cold and terrified look.  
  
It was then that Hermione knew something had gone wrong.  
  
Terribly wrong! 


	26. Number Four, Privet Drive

Chapter Twenty-Six: Number 4 Privet Drive  
  
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Hermione shrieked.  
  
Tears were streaming down McGonagall's face and Hermione knew she should brace herself for the worst.  
  
"Rubeus – Rubeus Hagrid was found in – Knock – Knockturn Alley this evening. He was frozen stiff. We all know that – that it was the Killing Curse," McGonagall said wit her thin lower lip trembling.  
  
Hermione thought she had prepared herself for the worst but she felt so sick to her stomach and so frozen, so cold, and so icy.  
  
"There must be a mistake!" Hermione shouted bursting into tears.  
  
"I'm afraid it isn't," McGonagall replied shakily.  
  
Hermione ran to McGonagall's side and the old teacher tried to comfort her.  
  
"It isn't possible! Hagrid just gave us Christmas presents. He gave us – us candy like he always does! He just taught a class before holidays. Oh my God! He was supposed to teach tomorrow; I was going to have his class tomorrow! Oh my God! I don't believe this! It's horrible!"  
  
Hermione collapsed to the floor and McGonagall was at a loss for words.  
  
"No! It's all a bad dream; none of this is real! It can't be!" Hermione cried on the cold hard floor.  
  
~*~  
  
"Father, now that we've gotten rid of the oaf, Hagrid, are we going to kill other giants?"  
  
"We're going to get the giants to kill Muggles with us first, and yes – then we'll kill them all!"  
  
"Good..."  
  
"Don't think that you've done remarkably. Once again you stayed on the side - lines and just watched us, just watched our wonderful Dark Lord get rid of that fool! You better help us next time!"  
  
"I hope I will father, I'm getting stronger."  
  
"It's back to the Dark Lord for you."  
  
"Not that! Please not that again!"  
  
"You need to learn how to become stronger if you want to join in Muggle torturing! Then perhaps you'll kill that Granger girl."  
  
"What I've always wanted. But to kill Potter and Weasel more..."  
  
"Then do that, but kill the Muggles first. Remember that, kill all Muggles and Muggle lovers. Pure blood is ALL that matters!"  
  
~*~  
  
"It's just not possible!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
Professor McGonagall was shaking all over the place. She was shivering from head to toe.  
  
Finally Hermione calmed down.  
  
"Okay, so we know it was Vol – Voldemort," McGonagall said.  
  
"Who else but Voldemort? He makes everything horrible. He destroys everything!" Hermione said bitterly.  
  
"Don't get worked up again. It's not good and it won't bring Hagrid back," McGonagall replied.  
  
"Well, fine. Not to change the subject but something else has been bothering me. Have you figured out a counter curse to the bracelet yet?"  
  
"Lupin, Black, myself, and Dumbledore are all trying to work on it. We haven't had much luck but we think we're getting closer. As soon as we figure it out, we'll do as much as we can to prepare Harry for battle."  
  
"And me. I'm going with him."  
  
"You can't be serious."  
  
"I am Professor. I want to help fight Voldemort, in fact if I don't help then I think I'll go crazy."  
  
"Well – I suppose you may then."  
  
"I'm sorry Professor but even if you said I couldn't I'd go and fight."  
  
"I don't mind... So you can see – Voldemort's getting closer and closer to us now."  
  
"Right. So more or less, he'll come to us, right?"  
  
"We're not sure what he's trying to do. All we know is that he's getting close to Hogwarts and people here. He was in Knockturn Alley no doubt, but since Dark Magic's always there, no one would have reported him or anything..."  
  
"Right. Professor? Class starts tomorrow... I think I should be getting some sleep now if you don't mind. Work on the counter-curse please."  
  
"Of course. Go on to bed Hermione."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Hermione slowly went to Gryffindor Tower, but not to bed. She woke Harry and asked him to come to the common room to talk – and then spilled all.  
  
"I can't believe it! Hagrid?" Harry whispered.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"It's all my fault. The prophecy says that anyone I love, even as a friend is bound to die. It's right! I've killed the people I care for the most!"  
  
"Don't say that Harry! Please don't say that!"  
  
"Why not? It's true! You know it and I know it!"  
  
"It can't be. It just can't be!"  
  
"Well, news flash Hermione. I'm going to kill you too unless you get out of my way."  
  
"Never! I will never desert you!"  
  
"You have to for your own safety Hermione!"  
  
"No way Harry! Not this time! Not ever! I'm going to stick beside you and fight the Prophecy. Most of all – I'm going to fight Voldemort!"  
  
"You care for me that much?"  
  
"You're so vain," Hermione said with a weak smile. "Yes, I do Harry. I care for you that much."  
  
Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes again. She started crying and kept on crying for most of the night. She cried herself to sleep in Harry's arms in the common room and awoke the next morning with her face tear stained.  
  
"Harry, Harry. Wake up. It's morning," Hermione whispered shortly after dawn.  
  
"What? Where am I? Oh..."  
  
Harry slowly walked to the boy's dorms and Hermione went to the girl's dorms. She turned on the bath and filled it to the top and sunk in under the warm water.  
  
She shampooed her hair, conditioned it, and sat a while longer. Then she slipped into a full sleeved polo black sweater and a pair of flares. She kept her hair down and secured a black robe tightly around her waist.  
  
She went to the mirror.  
  
"No," she said out loud.  
  
She put her hair in a French Braid and then entered her room again. Cassandra was just awoken. Hermione told her about Hagrid's death.  
  
"Oh, that's so sad!" Cassandra whispered.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Hermione replied with tears again.  
  
She wiped her face as Cassandra took her shower. Then Hermione put on light makeup and went to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
  
She was the first person in there. No teachers, no owls, no students, no one. Just Hermione all alone.  
  
Hagrid must be like that, all alone up there... I hope he sees his father. His father would be proud of him if he saw him today... well not today... he isn't alive today...  
  
Hermione was tempted not to start crying all over again. She took in her breakfast and still no one was at the Great Hall. She thought that Harry would have come by now...  
  
Oh well... He'll show up soon. I hope...  
  
Hermione grabbed her bags and walked to the Transfiguration classroom. She touched the stone on the necklace that Harry had given her. She put her fingers over the smooth stone and wouldn't let go for a while. Then she came to the door of Transfiguration. She opened it and saw McGonagall.  
  
"Hello Miss Granger," she said a bit stiffly.  
  
"Hello Professor," Hermione replied.  
  
She wasn't used to the awkward silence between them. After seven years of knowing each other, after seven years of becoming like sisters, Hermione hated the silence. She completely loathed it.  
  
"You're the first one in," McGonagall said suddenly.  
  
"Yeah, yes. I couldn't sleep much."  
  
"You've told Harry?" McGonagall asked sharply.  
  
"Yes. Well, you know what he thinks. The Prophecy..."  
  
"The Prophecy. Yes, I worry about him quite a bit. Especially with Hagrid passing away and all..."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, other students are coming now. You can take your seat."  
  
Hermione slid into a desk and Cassandra grabbed a seat next to her.  
  
"I can't believe you weren't at breakfast," she said.  
  
"I already ate," Hermione replied. "What's the big deal?"  
  
"Dumbledore explained about Hagrid. We bowed our heads and it was really sad."  
  
"Oh, I'm glad I wasn't there. I would have started crying all over again."  
  
"Well, some people were laughing – believe it or not."  
  
"Let me guess. Malfoy? Crabbe and Goyle?"  
  
"You said it. Those creeps were chuckling in front of Dumbledore's nose. I couldn't believe how some people could be so heartless."  
  
"When you kill someone, you do it for a reason Cassandra. You're not going to cry over it, not Draco at least."  
  
Cassandra gasped.  
  
"Are you saying he killed Hagrid?"  
  
"I didn't say anything," Hermione quickly replied.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
"There's going to be more killing. And I don't think Harry's going to show up for anything else today."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well he wasn't at breakfast, and he still hasn't shown up for Transfiguration. What's a girl supposed to think?" Cassandra said.  
  
"You can't be serious. Poor guy. He's probably so sad that he wants to stay in bed all day. I'll let him borrow all my notes."  
  
"You are gaga over him Hermione."  
  
"Am not."  
  
"Are too."  
  
"Am not."  
  
"Cassandra Nicole! Hermione! Class has started. You can join us if you'd like," Professor McGonagall said abruptly.  
  
Hermione frowned at Cassandra.  
  
"Sorry Professor McGonagall," she mumbled.  
  
"Won't happen again," Cassandra added.  
  
"I should hope so," Professor McGonagall said.  
  
All through Transfiguration Harry didn't bother showing up. And he wasn't at any of the other classes. When he didn't even show up for lunch or dinner, Hermione was getting fed up.  
  
"I know it's sad but he needs to get his act together," Hermione said crossly at dinner, picking at her mash potatoes.  
  
"Give it a rest. It's like his father dying all over again," Ron replied nonchalantly.  
  
"It's not excuse for him to be gone all day. It was hard on me too," Hermione retorted shortly.  
  
"And no excuse for you guys to start fighting," Cassandra said. "Calm down, I'm sure Harry'll be fine by tomorrow."  
  
But Hermione didn't think so. In fact when Harry wasn't even in the common room as they entered it, Hermione was afraid that Harry was taking it really hard. She thought about going into the boy's dorms to cheer him up the minute she saw all the chairs empty in the common room.  
  
"Okay. I don't think it will work," Ron mumbled.  
  
"Don't start Ron," Cassandra murmured.  
  
Hermione entered the boy's dorms. To her shock she found that – - It was empty!  
  
No way! She thought anxiously.  
  
She paced the room and could hear no one in the bath.  
  
I can't believe he'd do this to me! I mean, where in Muggles name is he? I don't even see any of his stuff!  
  
Suddenly Cassandra rushed into the room.  
  
"McGonagall wants you. She said it's urgent," she said quickly before exiting again.  
  
"What now?" Hermione said angrily to herself.  
  
She practically ran the whole way down to McGonagall's office.  
  
Hermione flung the door open.  
  
"Harry's gone!" she screeched.  
  
"Well, yes. We know," McGonagall said.  
  
Lupin and Dumbledore were stiff in the room.  
  
"And what are you planning to do about it? Do you even know where he went?" Hermione challenged.  
  
"Well, think Hermione. Who does he know he'll never hurt? That's probably where he is," Lupin said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Voldemort? I know he hates Voldemort," Hermione replied bewildered.  
  
"No, think Hermione! He wouldn't go to Voldemort," McGonagall snapped.  
  
Hermione thought for a second more and then it came to her.  
  
"The Dursleys! A place to stay, food to eat – it all makes sense. He hates them so much that he'd stay with them forever!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"There's more to it than that. There's some bad news of course," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Which is?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Harry's resigned himself from Hogwarts," McGonagall replied.  
  
"What? You've got to be kidding! You can't 'resign' from school!" Hermione shouted.  
  
"Well, he wrote us a note," Lupin mumbled.  
  
"Of course we aren't letting him just quit. But we need you again," McGonagall said.  
  
"To do what?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Get Harry from the Dursleys and convince him to come back to us," McGonagall said.  
  
Hermione stared at the three adults in disbelief.  
  
"And how am I supposed to do that?" she asked.  
  
"Ride the Muggle subway to number 4 Privet Drive, semi-easy I'd say. Take a here and then turn there and before you know it –"  
  
"Albus – you're mumbling again," McGonagall said in distraught.  
  
"Oh yes, I suppose I am..." Dumbledore trailed off.  
  
The three elders convinced Hermione to go to the Dursley house and bring back Harry.  
  
She was picking up a few things in a bag (extra pair of clothes and a few pumpkin pasties) and she left Hogwarts (horrified of the thought of missing classes).  
  
She took the train to London and then took a taxi to 4 on Privet Drive. She saw the matter-of-fact house and took a deep breath as she knocked on the door.  
  
"Coming," a gruff voice barked.  
  
Hermione guessed it to be Mr. Dursley.  
  
And she was right.  
  
"Who are you?" he grunted.  
  
"Well – you see – my name is Amanda Moore. I'm a friend of Dudley's," Hermione replied nervously.  
  
"You're a friend of Dudley's?" Mr. Dursley asked with a little more interest.  
  
"Oh yes! Heavens, don't you know? I mean we talked at the school dance for hours!" Hermione exclaimed tossing her head.  
  
"Who is it?" a snotty feminine voice said. It was Aunt Petunia.  
  
"Amanda," Uncle Vernon grunted to Aunt Petunia. "Dudley! It's your friend," Mr. Dursley called.  
  
"Who? Pier?" Dudley asked stupidly.  
  
"No! It's Amanda!" Mr. Dursley shouted back.  
  
"Amanda? I don't know who you're talking about," Dudley replied.  
  
"Oh but he must! I mean we talked for a really long time. He's got to know who I am. May I come in?" Hermione asked.  
  
Mr. Dursley grunted.  
  
Hermione took it for a yes and stepped into the Muggle household. She tried a new angle.  
  
"So – Um, where's that weird nephew of yours?" she asked.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Uncle Vernon barked.  
  
"Oh, Dudley told me all about what's his name... Harry?"  
  
"That freak is upstairs," Uncle Vernon shouted.  
  
Suddenly Harry came running down the stairs. He took one look at Hermione and said loudly, "Hermione! What in blazes are you doing here?"  
  
"This isn't Hermione! What do you think you're talking about? This is Amanda Moore from Dudley's school. Get out of here!" Uncle Vernon shouted.  
  
Harry grabbed his wand and shouted, "Tarentallegra!"  
  
Uncle Vernon's feet suddenly started dancing very rapidly.  
  
"What are you doing to that poor man?" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"Teaching him not to mess with me," Harry replied with a cold gleam in his eyes.  
  
"What's happened to you Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I've quit Hogwarts. Haven't you heard?"  
  
"Yes and I'll have to tell you Harry – it's the most idiotic thing you've ever done!" Hermione scolded.  
  
Suddenly Mr. Dursley stopped dancing. His face was beet red and he started muttering crude words under his mouth.  
  
"Don't you think I won't use magic now. I've quit my school, you hear?" Harry shouted at him.  
  
Mr. Dursley shivered under his perfect suit and tie. Hermione started sneezing and coughing.  
  
"Uggh! I guess I should have brought a stronger cloak. Ahh ahh achoo! I'm sorry," Hermione mumbled.  
  
Harry took of his cloak and swung it around Hermione's shoulders.  
  
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" he asked.  
  
"No, I'm ahh ahh achoo! I'm fine," Hermione replied with her eyes a bit red from all the sneezing.  
  
"Make her some soup and take it up to my room!" Harry ordered to Uncle Vernon.  
  
"I'm not your servant, boy. You better treat me with some respect," Uncle Vernon retorted.  
  
Harry pretended to take his wand out of his pant pocket again and Uncle Vernon went into the kitchen muttering, "I'll fix your ruddy soup."  
  
Harry took Hermione up the stairs to his room. Hermione sat down on his bed and Harry started pacing the room.  
  
"What are you doing Harry? You aren't being very ahh ahh achoo nice to your uncle."  
  
"Hermione! I can't believe you! They deserve everything I've done and even more than that. For so many years of my life they've nearly starved me, abused me, and lied to me about my parents! I'm not about to start handing out cauldron cakes in this house. No way! Not now and not ever!" Harry shouted.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, half in fear and half in disgust.  
  
"Okay fine Harry! Calm down! I get your point. So Um, you wouldn't want to come back to Hogwarts, would you?"  
  
Harry's shining green eyes looked like daggers as he turned to Hermione.  
  
"Return to Hogwarts? You've got be kidding. Why would I want to do that? So I can kill a few more people with the stupid Prophecy?"  
  
"No way! Listen up Mr. Potter. I'm your friend. Ron's your friend. Cassandra's your friend. I could name all your friends right now if you wanted me to and let me tell you that none of them would ask you to leave Hogwarts! If they would do that then they aren't really your friends, but you've got enough real friends to make you stay at Hogwarts forever!"  
  
"I'm going to end up killing all my real friends though. Don't you see?"  
  
"You won't be killing them! Please Harry! Do it for me!"  
  
"I won't!"  
  
"Everyone misses you at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall's even getting closer and closer to – Uh – finding a way for you to battle Voldemort!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
There was no way she was going to let Harry find out about her little time traveling! She almost spilled but quickly straightened up. Hermione continued talking.  
  
"If you come back we'll be able to kill Voldemort once and for all! We'd be able to keep everyone safe and happy. Please Harry?"  
  
Suddenly Uncle Vernon came to the door with hot chicken noodle soup.  
  
"Here's your ruddy soup," he barked.  
  
Harry took it from him and didn't even say thank you. He slammed the door shut. He went to Hermione and sat down beside her, passing her the bowl of soup.  
  
"Eat it Hermione. You'll feel better," he urged.  
  
"Oh, thank you," Hermione replied.  
  
She took a few spoonfuls and set the spoon down and looked at Harry, her eyes begging for him to return.  
  
"Please Harry! Please come back to Hogwarts with me!" she pleaded.  
  
Harry looked at the innocent eyes, at the innocent face, and listened to those innocent words. He thought about his parents. He though about Voldemort. He thought about never living to see another day. He thought about Hagrid. Then, most of all, he thought about Hermione.  
  
Harry opened his mouth, just a tiny bit. He looked straight at Hermione's eyes and quietly said, "I'll do it." 


	27. The Fight

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Fight  
  
Hermione brightened instantly. It was almost as if the room brightened as well (or maybe that was simply the sun pushing the clouds out of it's majestic way).  
  
"Are you serious?" Hermione cried.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Harry replied shrugging.  
  
Hermione jumped up and skipped around the room.  
  
Harry looked bewildered.  
  
"Wonderful! That's totally awesome. Let's go now! Uggh! I don't think I've got enough money for the ride back to Hogwarts. But you do, right?" Hermione asked breathlessly.  
  
"Well, yes, but I want to do something else," Harry replied mischeviously.  
  
"Oh yeah? What is it?" Hermione asked with a smiling curling up her face.  
  
"Why don't we – oh, I dunno, have some fun," Harry said.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Well, people still think that I've quit Hogwarts, right?"  
  
"Well... yes..."  
  
"So I can still do magic out of school right?"  
  
"Well I don't know..."  
  
"Why don't we make that carpet fly?" Harry asked gesturing to a rug on the ground.  
  
"Are you crazy?"  
  
"No. I'm not going to get in trouble. I've already quit Hogwarts," Harry said smirking with his wand swinging in the air lazily from his fingers.  
  
"Are you sure it's okay?"  
  
"Positive. Come on!"  
  
Then Uncle Vernon came running up the stairs.  
  
"When are you two getting out of here?" he barked.  
  
"Now!" Harry retorted sharply.  
  
"How exactly are you leaving? I'm not paying for anything!"  
  
"Don't hold your breath 'Uncle'. I don't need your help!"  
  
He shouted a few quick words and the carpet was floating in midair.  
  
"What do you think you're doing with that carpet? It's one of a kind!"  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing?"  
  
"Are you crazy? You better do your little funny stuff and get it to stop floating!"  
  
"Do I look like I'm going to do that?"  
  
"You little!"  
  
"Little what?"  
  
"I'm not going to say it in this house! Get out now!"  
  
They did as they were told without any trouble. Harry and Hermione jumped on (with Hermione's little bag and all of Harry's luggage) and they flew out the window waving to Uncle Vernon who was gaping like an idiot.  
  
They missed a huge oak tree and Harry lazily guided the carpet. It was big and soft and silky.  
  
Hermione felt so relaxed and carefree on the carpet. It flew high into the clouds and disappeared before a Muggle laid eyes on it. It went swiftly and quickly. Hermione clung to Harry and Harry put his arm around her. Hermione almost fell asleep on Harry, her cold slowing ceasing to a stop. They went a ways in silence, and then Harry spoke.  
  
"I don't want to go back," he flatly said.  
  
Hermione cursed him inside her mind for spoiling such a perfect moment.  
  
"Don't even start Harry! You're coming back and that's final."  
  
"There you go acting like a mum again. But how would I know how a mum acts? I've never had one!"  
  
"Harry! I can't believe you are acting like such a little child! Shouting and bickering is NOT going to bring your parents back so why don't we just go back to Hogwarts and try to find some counter-curse from the bracelet that Lily gave me!"  
  
But suddenly Hermione knew she said too much.  
  
"Lily who, Hermione? You aren't talking about my mother are you?"  
  
Hermione didn't speak.  
  
"Are you?" Harry asked again, raising his eyebrow.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't say that..."  
  
"How'd you see my mum?"  
  
"Well, it's funny you're asking really..."  
  
"Just tell me Hermione!"  
  
"Well, fine! But you can't get mad at me!"  
  
"Just tell me!"  
  
Hermione gasped, rolled her eyes, and shrugged her shoulders in annoyance.  
  
Then Hermione told Harry all about her time traveling and meeting Voldemort, and Lily, and how they were going out (which came as quite a shock to Harry!). Most of all that surprised Harry was that Hermione kept it all a secret (and of course the little bit about Lily being Slytherin...). Hermione told Harry about the little comment Tom Riddle said in the end about him being the one to kill James when he would die and that really was the icing on the burnt cake! Harry completely went ballistic and started swearing under his breath.  
  
"That won't help!" Hermione scolded.  
  
"How could you have kept it a secret?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, it was for a good cause. Now you know, all right?"  
  
As if that was going to cut it for Harry! He was silent for the rest of the trip.  
  
They arrived at Hogwarts and took their bags and entered McGonagall's office. Harry and Hermione were both extremely furious at each other. They weren't even saying a word to each other and instead they were looking at the ground.  
  
Harry couldn't believe that Hermione kept a secret from him this serious, and Hermione thought that he was being the biggest baby.  
  
McGonagall asked them to take seats.  
  
"How could you leave Harry?" she asked.  
  
"I left so I wouldn't hurt anyone I liked, just like what happened to Hagrid," he flatly said.  
  
"Well, you don't have to worry about hurting me since you practically hate my guts!" Hermione shouted.  
  
"Oh yeah? Well, at least I tell my friends important secrets!" Harry retorted.  
  
"At least I'm not as uptight as some people!"  
  
"At least I don't think I'm smarter than everyone!"  
  
"At least I don't always run away from my problems!"  
  
"At least I'm not trying to be all big and tough when I'm really so weak and small!"  
  
"At least I don't think I'm special!"  
  
"At least I don't try to act older than I am!"  
  
"At least I'm not so rude to the relations I've got!"  
  
"At least I'm not a little know-it-all!"  
  
"That come back is getting pretty old!"  
  
"Not as old as your face – or as ugly!"  
  
"Take that back!"  
  
"Never!"  
  
"Well then!" Hermione shouted.  
  
She picked up her bag and slammed the door behind her, rushing out in tears.  
  
McGonagall's eyes narrowed as she turned towards Harry.  
  
"You had to do that?" she asked.  
  
"You wouldn't believe what she's done," Harry replied calming down.   
  
But suddenly his anger was back up. "What you've done too! You've been keeping this a secret from me too! I can't believe it!" he shouted.  
  
Harry stood up. He opened the door and rushed out in anger as well, leaving Professor McGonagall all alone.  
  
McGonagall threw her hands up in the air to surrender and fell in her chair.   



	28. Spring Fling

Chapter Twenty-eight: Spring Fling  
  
Hermione rushed to the one place she thought she would find some comfort – the library.  
  
She took a seat and rested her head on one of the cold tables. Hardly anyone was in the library with the exception of a few first year Hufflepuffs so she could have some quiet time to herself. Hermione saw Madam Pince reshelving a huge stack of books in one of the corners of the library.  
  
After a few moments Hermione stood up and went to her room, trying to find Cassandra. She thought she could at least catch up on all the homework she missed. Hermione found Cassandra dawdling on her bed.  
  
"Hermione! What happened to you? Like you weren't here all day!" Cassandra exclaimed as she saw Hermione brush through the door.  
  
"Long story," Hermione replied.  
  
Then she rapidly told Cassandra what happened (leaving out the Lily and James Potter bit and the Prophecy of course).  
  
"Something must be bugging him Hermione. Don't let him get to you," Cassandra insisted.  
  
"Well, you can always make me feel better. Let me see your notes for Defense class and Astronomy," Hermione ordered.  
  
Cassandra lazily got off her bed and grabbed her bag filled with notes. She dished out the Defense and Astronomy stuff to give to Hermione. Hermione took it from her and then her eyes dropped as she saw the bubbly handwriting.  
  
"And I'm supposed to read this – how?" Hermione asked exasperated. "Come on Cassi! This is worse than your usual writing!"  
  
"Well, we had a lot of notes. Take it or leave it," Cassandra replied with a smile. "You won't be able to read Ron's writing any better, and I know you aren't about to ask Harry for his notes."  
  
Hermione made a face.  
  
"Okay, fine. Just dictate it all to me," she said.  
  
When she finished copying down all the notes she went to the Professors for her homework assignment and completed it all quickly at her bedside.  
  
"Oh come on Hermione! Let's do something fun! Wanna sneak out to Hogsmeade?" Cassandra whined.  
  
"Not this late! I suggest we sneak into the Kitchen for some snacks as we – Great Wizards – are a few hours too late for Dinner."  
  
"Sneak into the Kitchen? This I like! But how?"  
  
"I know the way, follow me."  
  
This was exactly what Hermione needed. A person who she could really let down on, and someone to do fun stuff with. Ron was okay, but he just wasn't girl enough (Great Wizard! That would be weird!), and who cared about Harry? Not Hermione!  
  
Hermione tickled the large pear and the portrait swung open at the foot of the Kitchen.  
  
"Pretty cool, pretty cool," Cassandra murmured as she stepped inside with Hermione.  
  
Instantly House-elves were at their waists.  
  
"Hello misses! Hello misses!" they all said with friendly smiles and huge droopy ears.  
  
Hermione and Cassandra were momentarily overwhelmed and returned the smiles and gave a friendly wave.  
  
"Come on," Hermione urged Cassandra. She was going to take Cassandra to see Dobby.  
  
"Hey Dobby!" Hermione shouted.  
  
The queer House-elf looked at Hermione and said, "Hello Miss. Hello Miss."  
  
Hermione and Cassandra exchanged glances and hid smiles.  
  
"Hey Dobby. Do you know who this is? This is Wheezy's special friend. This is Harry's Wheezy's special friend."  
  
"You is Wheezy's special friend? Then you is surely an honorable Miss then," Dobby squeaked.  
  
Cassandra laughed.  
  
"I bet you're more honorable than I am," she said between giggles.  
  
"No Miss! Tis not the point of Dobby," he said shaking his head.  
  
Then Dobby turned to Hermione.  
  
"Would Miss and Miss like Dobby to give food to Miss and Miss?" he asked.  
  
"Well, we sort of did miss Dinner and we were hoping that you might have some food –" Hermione was cut off before she could finish her sentence.  
  
Instantly platters of chicken, bread, and salad were at their feet. Two goblets were filled to the top with steaming hot cocoa.  
  
"Thanks you guys!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah! It's like Express Service. Keep up the good work!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
The House-elves waved them out of the Kitchen and they took the food up to their room where they shared it together.  
  
"They are like whack about serving us!" Cassandra said as she took a piece of bread.  
  
"Mmm," Hermione mumbled between a bite of chicken and some salad.  
  
"What time is it anyway?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"There was only Seamus, Dean, Neville, Parvati, and Lavender in the common room, so I'm guessing it's pretty late. Hold on – let me get my watch – I just took it off – there we go. It's after eleven," Hermione replied.  
  
"Wow! Let's take quick showers and get to bed," Cassandra said.  
  
They took their showers and slipped on flannel pajamas. Then they fell fast asleep under many sheets – and dreams.  
  
~*~  
  
"We need him back!"  
  
"But my Lord, he's at school now. Don't you think it would be better for us to wait for him to learn as much as possible and then turn dark?"  
  
"We need him back!"  
  
"Well then, I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Lucius! If you don't obey my orders then you will get punished too!"  
  
"Yes my lord. I understand."  
  
"Then get out of my sight!"  
  
~*~  
  
Somehow Harry and Hermione managed to ignore each other straight through January. They annoyed Ron and Cassandra, but they knew better and kept their mouths shut. Cassandra, although she didn't show it, was getting frustrated more and more. She liked both Harry and Hermione and hated to see them fighting.  
  
While Hermione was spending almost all of her time with Ron and Cassandra (except for when they had Quidditch practice WITH Harry, in which she spent reading), Harry was spending practically all of his time practicing Quidditch and hanging around with Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, and Cho Chang.  
  
Although no one was every really sure if it was Parvati or Cho that Dean really liked, he seemed to hang around an awful lot with both of them. Lavender mostly did her thing with Neville. All three of them practically loathed Ginny for dating Seamus, because then all three of them would have had a boyfriend, thus even more loathing Hermione when Harry COULD have been theirs.  
  
So suddenly as Hermione and Harry were ignoring each other, almost all of the seventh year students knew that Hermione and Harry were NOT an item. Thus, even more the reason for Cho to leave her robe untied and wear shorter mini-skirts than usual. And even more the reason for Cho, Parvati, and Lavender to surround Harry. To their surprise, Harry actually went along with them.  
  
Ron wasn't quite sure why Harry was doing it. Hermione knew that Harry was just being a jerk. Of course her sub-concious told her that she couldn't stand the sight of Harry's arms around Cho – and even worse if that was possible – Harry kissing Cho on the forehead after they left Astronomy.  
  
In all reality only two people knew exactly what Harry was doing, and one of them was Cassandra Nicole Taylor. Cassandra – playing this game so many times herself – knew that Harry was just trying to get Hermione all jealous so she'd run back to him.  
  
The other person that knew was obviously Harry. Then again, he wasn't quite sure why he was doing it. He didn't want to hurt Hermione, but he had the sudden urge to make Hermione be against him. Was it because he was afraid that Hermione would get hurt if they were friends? Harry was so obsessed with keeping everyone he cared for safe that he started being sharp to even Ron and Cassandra.  
  
Cassandra Divination skills told her that she needed to do something about it – before it got out of hand. One week before Valentines Day she sat around, thinking about it. She had almost put her finger on a plan when Hermione ran up to her.  
  
"Hey Cassi!" she exclaimed with a huge grin.  
  
"Holla Hermione! What's got you so happy?" Cassandra replied.  
  
"Oh nothing," Hermione murmured. "Just that – McGonagall said that I'm always so in control that I would make a perfect Ministry of Magic Minister!" Hermione exclaimed, saying the last part very fast.  
  
"When did this come up?"  
  
"When I told her I wanted to teach Transfiguration, and she said that she would have to work extra hard, just so I wouldn't take the job away from her! I can't believe it! It's everything I've ever wanted!" Hermione exclaimed, falling into a huge chair by the fireplace.  
  
"Good for you Hermione! I'm really excited! Do you think she said that Trelawney might be looking forward to giving up that Divination position?"  
  
"Oh Cassi! Do something more worth your while."  
  
"Whatever. So, what do you want to do now? Want to go to Hogsmeade. I think we've got at least five hours of fun and games."  
  
"Sounds like fun. Let me grab my cloak and I'll be right with you," Hermione replied.  
  
They both got cloaks and scurried off to the Three Broomsticks.  
  
Once they both got steaming mugs of Butterbeer they sat down in a booth and Hermione checked over Cassandra's History of Magic homework.  
  
"Good job Cassi! You're getting so much better. Now, the only thing you need to remember is that Eldrige was an Elf and Galloping was a Gargoyle. Then you'll ace our test tomorrow!"  
  
"That was much better news than I hoped for. I mean, I fall asleep in that class almost every day. How can you expect to get all that? Well, thanks to you, I have a chance of passing!"  
  
"It was nothing. Well, actually it was something..." Hermione joked.  
  
"You're right. It was something, and now I'm going to buy you a thank you gift."  
  
"Aw, you don't have to do that."  
  
"I know I don't have to, but I want to. It's nothing big anyway. Just some chocolate from Honeydukes."  
  
"That's totally sweet of you."  
  
"Ya, ya, I know."  
  
"You are so modest Cassi."  
  
"I know that too," Cassandra replied with a smile.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and followed Cassandra to Honeydukes.  
  
~*~  
  
"I hear that they're having a dance for Valentines Day! It's called the Spring Fling! There's supposed to be a prize for the best dancers or couple. It sounds super exciting, and I just can't wait! Who are YOU going with Harry?" Cho asked.  
  
"I'm not sure yet," Harry replied to Cho, Lavender, Parvati, and Cho's two friends, Lydia and Shiree.  
  
"Well, you've got a lot to choose from," Parvati said.  
  
"Yeah, I sure do. And everyone's so pretty too," Harry replied making all the girls squeal and exchange glances.  
  
"Well none of us have dates until you decide who you want to go with," Lavender said.  
  
Cho suddenly shot her dagger eyes.  
  
"I think I've got to go now for a Quidditch practice," Harry said, getting to his feet.  
  
"Oh, of course," Lydia said.  
  
"Yeah. Well, just come back when you finish!" Shiree hollered after him.  
  
Then all five girls started gossiping amongst themselves.  
  
"I can't believe you said that!" Cho shrieked towards Lavender.  
  
"Said what?" Lavender asked innocently.  
  
"That none of us will have dates until he decides! I mean come on Lavender! He's got to choose me!" Cho exclaimed.  
  
"Know what Cho? You're right. I'm sorry. You are the best out of all of us and it's only fair," Lavender replied meekly.  
  
"That's better," Cho said.  
  
Then she turned to the rest of them.  
  
"So, do you want to do your nails now?" she asked.  
  
"Oh yeah! Definitely!" they all cried.  
  
"Then come along with me to the library! That's the only place we can all go, after all Gryffindor students are not allowed in Ravenclaw Tower," Cho said.  
  
"And Ravenclaw students aren't allowed in Gryffindor Tower," Parvati added.  
  
Cho shot a nasty look towards Parvati.  
  
"No one asked YOU to come. If you've got a problem with the library then you don't have to go," she said shortly.  
  
"I was just saying – I didn't mean that. I want to get my nails done!" Parvati quickly said.  
  
"Good! Then come along!" Cho exclaimed.  
  
The other girls all followed Cho to the library to paint their nails. 


	29. The Plan

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Plan  
  
"I've got it!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Got what?" Hermione asked bewildered at Cassandra's sudden outburst in the middle of the hall on Monday before they were going to Doubles Potions.  
  
"Oh nothing, nothing..." Cassandra trailed off.  
  
She finally had the perfect plan to make a fool out of Cho and her little friends but also – just maybe get Hermione and Harry back together. Of course she didn't want Hermione to know about it. That would completely spoil everything! Cassandra grinned to herself and slid into her desk happily in Potions. "WHAT has got you so happy today Cassi?" Hermione asked, even more bewildered than before.  
  
"Oh nothing, nothing..." Cassandra said again.  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow and then opened up her bag to bring out her books and parchment.  
  
Snape was at the front of the room wearing his usual frown, and once again taking making sure that his hair was extra greasy. Cassandra was chewing her gum again, same as usual. She watched Snape's beady black eyes turn towards her and ignored them.  
  
"Miss Taylor! If that is gum then I want it to be spit out this instant! If I haven't told you once I've told you a hundred – no – thousand times not to have gum in my dungeons or anywhere else in this castle! Do I make myself clear?" Snape shouted.  
  
"Crystal," Cassandra replied with a smirk.  
  
"Well then, what are you waiting for? Spit it out!" Snape commanded as Cassandra stayed perfectly still in her seat.  
  
"I've already swallowed it," Cassandra replied with a bored look.  
  
Snape's beady eyes narrowed quickly.  
  
"Very well then," he said shortly.  
  
Through the rest of Potions Cassandra barely raised a hand. She was thinking about her perfect plan so much that she was almost becoming obsessed.  
  
"Come on Cassi! Something has you up and jumping. When will you tell me what it is?" Hermione said as they walked out of the room.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about Hermione! I'm not 'up and jumping'. I'm walking and talking," Cassandra replied sweetly.  
  
"Well, you're always talking, that's for sure," Hermione replied.  
  
"Oh, gee, thanks so much," Cassandra said with a fake pout.  
  
"Any time babe," Hermione replied laughing.  
  
Wednesday night Cassandra had gone to bed early. She was 'working' on something, so she told Hermione so that she could find some quiet time to sneak upstairs and 'work' on what she had to do. Just as she slipped under her warm covers of her four poster, Hermione came into the room with her face slightly pink.  
  
"Have fun?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Oh, Ron and I were playing Exploding Snap. It was a riot!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Well, that's cool," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Are you ever going to tell me about your little secret?"  
  
"What secret girl? I HAVE no secret!"  
  
"Yeah right. Come on Cassandra Nicole. It's written all over your face and don't even try to hide it."  
  
"Okay, fine. If I do have a secret, then I'm not about to spill it. Anyway, the way I look at it, this little secret of mine is going to benefit you, so just keep your mouth shut."  
  
"Gotcha. All right, I hear you."  
  
"That's better."  
  
"Well, goodnight Cassi. I'm long due for a hot shower. I think I still smell like an Acne Growing Potion."  
  
Cassandra laughed.  
  
"Good night Hermione."  
  
Then as Hermione slipped into the showers, Cassandra fell into a long, dreamless sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Cho Chang stroked Harry's cheek softly right after Astronomy. She pushed her purse up on her shoulder and smiled a very satisfying smile to herself.  
  
Harry's just got to ask me to the Spring Fling! And when he does, I'll be the most popular girl in school!  
  
Cho chuckled to herself.  
  
Hey, even Rita Skeeter will get something out of this. Harry Potter and Cho Chang, Together at Last! Oooh, sounds too much fun! Well, that's the way it should be. It's about time Harry realized that that good for nothing Hermione Granger was just an all books girl. I've got Quidditch talent, grace, beauty, intelligence – and so much more! Harry doesn't know what he's been missing, but that's all about to change. He just has to ask me to that dance! I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't!  
  
Cho sat down at a table, waiting for Lydia and Shiree to show up when she saw something sticking out of her purse. It was a letter!  
  
I wonder who it's from...  
  
Cho impatiently ripped open the letter and saw a message that made her squeal with delight. It said:  
  
Dear Cho, You were right. How could I have been so stupid? Hermione was completely wrong for me and now that I know that, I want you to go the Spring Fling with me. You're completely perfect. I love everything about you. Please meet me before the Spring Fling starts. I need you to meet me at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Don't forget. I need to tell you something there. So, please come. Don't tell a soul. I want it to be kept a total secret. Do it for me. When we're ready, we'll tell the world! So come. And don't be late. I want us to make a grand entrance at the Yule Ball. Love Forever, Harry Potter  
  
Cho grinned a huge grin. She put her hands to her face, not daring to believe what just happened. She was breathless and her face was pink with excitement. But she knew that Lydia and Shiree would be arriving any moment, together, following her around. Cho put on a frown. Did those two have nothing better to do than follow Cho all the time.  
  
Must be where they get such good taste for robes...  
  
That thought made Cho feel a lot better and she put the letter in her purse and took out her Herbology equipment. Just as she finished, Lydia sat down breathlessly at the table.  
  
Cho look up with a bewildered glance.  
  
"Hey. What's up with you? Where's Shiree? You guys are like totally always together, and you even go to the bathroom together, like all the time. Where the freak is she?"  
  
"Shiree? Oh, heaven knows. I was just very busy and time flew away," Lydia said very mystically.  
  
Cho arched an eyebrow and quickly rolled her eyes.  
  
"Whatever," she impatiently said. "I had a real romantic goodbye with Harry in Astronomy. I'm positive that he will be asking me to the Spring Fling."  
  
Lydia looked at Cho quickly with a bit of hatred and amusement. Then the expression vanished.  
  
"Oh yes. I'm quite sure he'll ask the most perfect girl. I mean, we all know he has good taste," she quickly said.  
  
"He didn't before! Could you believe that he actually like that freak, Hermione Granger? I mean, seriously. She's okay enough, but why would he like her, when he knew me?"  
  
"He liked you in our 4th year, but you had to go to the Yule Ball with Cedric Diggory, remember?"  
  
"Who cares about Cedric?"  
  
"You were crying when you found out he died though!"  
  
"Uh, look! I don't care about Cedric, got that? Cedric was just a pretty face. Now that I've got Harry, Cedric means squat!" Cho shouted.  
  
"Okay, whatever," Lydia said bored.  
  
"And what was that supposed to mean?" Cho asked with her eyes narrowing.  
  
"Nothing, nothing..." Lydia trailed off. She looked up quickly and then said, "Hey! Shiree's here!"  
  
Shiree ran into the Greenhouse and dropped her stuff with a thud.  
  
"Why is everyone rushing around today?" Cho asked, again bewildered.  
  
"No idea," Lydia said looking at Shiree.  
  
"Am I late?" Shiree asked breathlessly.  
  
"No. Class was just about to start. What took you so long?" Cho asked.  
  
"I had to go somewhere," Shiree replied without missing a beat.  
  
"Yeah, okay, whatever," Cho replied as they sunk into their Herbology notes.  
  
~*~  
  
"Cho is so cool! I loved her idea for my nails! Look at them now," Lavender exclaimed to Parvati in the Great Hall at lunch.  
  
She showed Parvati nails the color of the ocean with sparkles dazzling on.  
  
"Yeah," Parvati said flashing a bright smile.  
  
Nothing could stop her good mood. Cho thought she was so great, but Parvati knew better.  
  
"They'll be perfect for the Yule Ball!" Lavender said enthusiastically.  
  
"Oh yes, the Yule Ball. Has anyone asked you yet?" Parvati asked.  
  
"Oh!" Lavender exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, what?" Parvati asked with a strange glance.  
  
"Oh... nothing. Nope. No one has asked me yet, but we've still got a few more days," Lavender replied.  
  
Parvati's expression quickly vanished.  
  
"Oh yeah. That's cool. So, what color robe are you wearing?" she asked.  
  
"I think I'm going to wear my Magenta one. It looks really good on me," Lavender said.  
  
"I think it suits you," Parvati replied.  
  
She didn't mean it in a good – or bad way.  
  
"What about you?" Lavender asked, brushing away the comment.  
  
"I'm not sure. I've got a super cute turquoise one and I'm going to put my bangles on with it to match. If I don't want to wear that, then I'll wear my shocking pink robe," Parvati said.  
  
"Sounds super!" Lavender squealed.  
  
Parvati gave Lavender a hard glance.  
  
Something has gotten her happy, and I wonder what it is... she thought.  
  
Parvati gazed down at her Caesar Salad. She ate a bit of it and then sat up straight.  
  
"What have we got next?" she asked.  
  
Lavender put down her Goblet after taking a sip of Pumpkin Juice.  
  
"I think it's Defense Against Dark Arts with Slytherin," Lavender said.  
  
Parvati stood up.  
  
"Then let's go," she said.  
  
"Okay," Lavender replied.  
  
She grabbed her bag and followed Parvati out the Great Hall. 


	30. Standing Her Up

Chapter Thirty: Standing Her Up  
  
"So, about this thing that's going to benefit me... Have you worked on it yet?"  
  
"Oh yes Hermione! It's all going perfectly. Trust me."  
  
"Well, if it's all going perfectly – whatever 'it' is, then how come I don't see anything benefiting me Cassandra?"  
  
"You'll see... you'll see..."  
  
"Stop telling me that!"  
  
"Do you think you can tell me what to do? Just kidding."  
  
"Yeah, you better be! Anyway, I've got to head off to Arithmancy. See you and Ron later!"  
  
"Bye Hermione!"  
  
"Bye Cassi!"  
  
~*~  
  
I wanted to ask Hermione so much, but I did what I had to do. It's probably better this way. Yes, it's better this way for sure.  
  
That was just what Harry thought as he slouched in his chair in Divination on Friday. Ron and Cassandra grabbed seats next to him after he was about to go join Slytherin. Then again, Harry knew that Ron and Cassandra didn't know about the Prophecy so there wasn't going to be any good reason in making a big scene. So he was content to staying with Ron and Cassandra – for a while at least.  
  
Ron turned to Harry while Cassandra got out her parchment and said, "Why are you being so mean to Hermione?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry replied exasperated. "I'm not being mean!"  
  
"Yes you are," Ron said.  
  
"Oh yeah? How am I being mean?"  
  
"You're not talking to her. In fact, you're completely ignoring her, and that isn't very nice."  
  
"Well, aren't you just St. Nicholas? Mind your own business Ron. It's for your own good."  
  
"Whatever. Talk to me when you snap out of your idiosyncrasy."  
  
"I'm sorry Ron."  
  
"Tell that to Hermione. She's the one that's all upset."  
  
"She doesn't act upset."  
  
"Of course she doesn't but we've known her for seven years now, spent every waking minute with her almost, and you're going to say that you can't tell when she's hurting? Come on Harry! Even I can tell when she's hurting."  
  
"Yeah, whatever."  
  
"Just do what you think is best. After all, I know you like her, so quit with this madness."  
  
"I would think that you would be paying attention to the lesson!" Professor Trelawney said pointedly, fingering her wand at Harry.  
  
Harry tried looking innocent.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was talking about people with July birthdays! They're all in grave danger!" Professor Trelawney snapped impatiently, loosing her mystical gaze and voice.  
  
"Are you sure you had your specs on when you were checking that crystal ball?" Harry muttered under his breath so that only Ron and Cassandra could hear him.  
  
They broke into quiet laughter as Trelawney walked over to Parvati and Lavender, who like always, were thoroughly into the class.  
  
In a few seconds Trelawney whipped around and focused on Harry.  
  
"The planets have warned me!" she chanted dramatically.  
  
"Oh really?" Harry said with a bored look written all over his face.  
  
"What have they been saying Professor?" Parvati asked with her beautiful dark eyes jumping around in fear.  
  
"They have been talking about death! Yes! Death my dears!" Trelawney exclaimed.  
  
"The horror," Ron muttered.  
  
"Quiet Ronald," Cassandra murmured under her breath, making Harry put his hand over his mouth to stop from laughing.  
  
"The planets have said that anyone who befriends another with a July birthday will die! They will die INSTANTLY!" Professor Trelawney said.  
  
"I guess I better not be friends with you then Harry. I might die," Ron joked, hoping to bring a smile to Harry's sullen face, but Harry's face turned even whiter when Ron made that comment.  
  
"Oy Harry! Are you okay?" Ron said, waving his hand in front of Harry's face.  
  
"What? What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," Harry replied after being pulled back into reality. "Perfectly fine – RONALD," he added with a grin.  
  
Slowly Harry began to fall asleep as Professor Trelawney droned on about Planetary motions.  
  
~*~  
  
Saturday everyone was in a buzz. The whole school was up and jumping, including wee little first years. Turned out that the prize for the best dancing/ cutest couple was going to be 500 Galleons each! Practically everyone entered. Ginny was to be going with Seamus. Cassandra was going with Ron. No one knew who Harry was going with – with the exception of one girl.  
  
The Spring Fling was to start at two in the afternoon. Then they would take out refreshments and set the Great Hall up as a party area. At six dinner would be served and dancing would begin at eight. With all luck the Weird Sisters would be showing up.  
  
All the females were going insane. Some woke up at five in the morning, putting curlers in their hair and painting nails. Cassandra was actually not one of those people. She preferred to sleep in, but Cho Chang had other plans. She woke earlier than the sun touched the Hogwarts sky and started looking at all her dress robes. They were all made of pure silk and had no lacy trimmings at the bottoms. She had a huge butterfly ornament to put in her silky black hair. She had glitter to put near her eyes, and black mascara to bring it all out.  
  
When it was six in the morning Cho decided on her Ocean blue dress robe. She got to work on her hair instantly.  
  
~*~  
  
Parvati Patil arose around six in the morning. She got up and walked to her Turquoise robe that was on a hanger in her closet. She felt the soft silky material and went to her jewelry case. There were beautiful bangles in the chest of every different color. She picked out a beautiful set of blue, green, and gold. Then she took a gold chain with a bluish green pendant hanging from it. Her double pierced ears had gold hoops on the bottom ones and diamond studs at the top. Her hair was as silky and black as Cho's, but fell down her back. She knew that she would put it into the perfect bun, but that would all be later. First she had to pick something to wear underneath.  
  
~*~  
  
After their eleven o' clock early lunch, Cassandra knew her plan was set and ready to go. She had done all possible, and now all she'd have to do would be to sit and watch.  
  
All the girls had finished securing their head pieces, and Cho was walking to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.  
  
This is so awesome! In a few minutes Harry's going to tell me that he loves me and not Hermione! Of course he already said that in the letter, but this is way too cool. I can hardly wait!  
  
Cho arrived but Harry wasn't there yet.  
  
Funny. Oh well, I must be early or something.  
  
After five more minutes Cho saw a figure coming closer and closer to her. When she could make out a face she saw that it was –  
  
Parvati Patil!  
  
"Parvati! What do you think you're doing here?" Cho screeched.  
  
"I'm meeting someone. What do you think you're doing here?" Parvati replied shortly.  
  
"Same as you! I got a letter!"  
  
"Oh, yeah? From who?"  
  
"The guy you'll never have – Harry Potter, so ha!"  
  
"Don't be so sure Cho! I got a letter too. It's obvious that mine's real and yours – is just some dirty trick. Too bad, so sad Cho."  
  
"You must be kidding Parvati! You saw my letter and made a copy of it. What a witch!"  
  
"What are you talking about? We are ALL witches!"  
  
"Shh!" Cho commanded. "Someone's coming. It's probably Harry! Get out of the way!"  
  
Parvati stayed still, eager to see who was coming. Then her eyes widened. She saw that the person coming towards them was no other than –  
  
Lavender Brown!  
  
"Lavender! Get out of here! I'm suppose to be meeting my date now!" Parvati exclaimed.  
  
"Your date? My date told me to meet him here," Lavender replied.  
  
"Who's your date? Longbottom?" Cho snapped.  
  
"For your information, it's Harry!" Lavender shouted back.  
  
"Harry?" Parvati asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes! Harry! It's about time he realized that – I'm the best," Lavender said. Then she turned to Cho and nastily said, "And you aren't!"  
  
"How dare you!" Cho shouted, getting ready to strangle the girl in the Magenta dress robe.  
  
"Hey! Someone's coming!" Parvati exclaimed.  
  
It was –  
  
Shiree!  
  
"Shiree! Don't tell me you got a freaking letter too!" Cho shouted.  
  
"What? Yeah, I got a letter. What do you mean – too?" Shiree asked with her eyebrow arching up.  
  
"Turns out all of us have got a letter," Parvati supplied for Cho.  
  
"You've got to be kidding," Lavender screeched.  
  
"No joke! You ALL copied off of my letter! Harry likes me and only me!" Cho exclaimed.  
  
"Shh! Someone else is coming!" Lavender whispered.  
  
Most expected it was –  
  
Lydia!  
  
"Lydia! Don't say a word!" Cho commanded.  
  
"But what are you guys doing here?" Lydia started to say.  
  
"Not a word!" Cho yelled with a threatening glare.  
  
Her eyes burned with rage.  
  
"Come on ladies! We've just been played a nasty little trick and I think that we need to go – fix some people's sorry little behinds!" she said.  
  
The five girls marched to the castle – feeling very stupid indeed.  
  
~*~  
  
"You did what? You did what?" Hermione shouted at Cassandra.  
  
Cassandra couldn't help but have a huge grin on her face.  
  
"You did what?" Hermione said again through gritted teeth.  
  
"I thought it would help you," Cassandra said, now simply howling with laughter.  
  
"You did what? How could you? Oh my gosh! I don't believe it! I just don't believe it! Are you crazy? Don't you know that when they find out that Cho is going to have my little patoot?" Hermione shouted.  
  
"Oh yeah. I didn't think of that," Cassandra said, almost choking between her giggles.  
  
"Oh no! There they are!" Hermione groaned, seeing the five very angry girls walking up to her in the Great Hall.  
  
"We saw your little trick Granger!" Cho shouted. "And don't even think that we liked it! It was not funny! I can't believe you put us through so much humiliation! I hope you don't think that just because you made us fall for your stupid little trick, that Harry's going to go running back to you! Got that?"  
  
Before Hermione could reply, Cho started talking again.  
  
"Do you even know what you've done? Do you actually think that your stupid little brains are good enough for Harry? Do you even think you stand a chance with him? Don't you know that you're a little book worm and a huge L-O-S-E-R! That's all you are, and that's all you'll ever be! You don't know anything except for what you read! I've got grace, beauty, charm, intelligence, and I can get on a broom without falling flat on my face, which is more than I can say for you! So let me tell you something, Miss Hermione Granger! You may THINK you're pretty, and you may THINK that Harry likes you, but I think that you KNOW the truth! Harry wants me and he'll always want me. He'll never stop WANTING me!"  
  
Cho was out of breath and Hermione was speechless. But then Cho got her breath back and Hermione was still speechless.  
  
"OH MY GOD! That means that Harry didn't even ask me! He never said anything to me and he never asked me! I can't believe it! Then who does he want? Ooh, he's going to get in some big trouble for this. Follow me girls. I have to go chew out another idiot!" Cho exclaimed.  
  
The other four rushed after her as she went to go find Harry.  
  
Hermione turned to Cassandra in a not-so-very-pleasant way.  
  
"Well, that went well, didn't it?" Hermione asked, very sarcastically.  
  
"Quite! How many sugar cubes would you like in your tea?" Cassandra said nonchalantly.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"I don't believe this," she said. Then she shook her head and surrendered.  
  
"Two please," Hermione replied with a smile on her face and a song in her heart.  



	31. Professor Gallows Gone

Chapter Thirty-One: Professor Gallows Gone  
  
"There he is!" Cho exclaimed.  
  
She marched towards Harry, burning with rage.  
  
"Hey Cho," Harry mumbled as he saw her walk up.  
  
"Don't you 'Hey Cho' me! I know all about you!" Cho snapped back.  
  
"What are you talking about Cho?" Harry asked with a confused expression on his face.  
  
"What do you mean what am I talking about? You very well know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't play so stupid Harry Potter! I was nice to you. I was sweet to you! I thought you knew that you had a good thing going here! Then you don't even ask me to the Spring Fling. So tell me Harry, did I have spinach in my teeth when you were trying to ask me, or do you just not know how good you had it? Trust me! You had it good. You had it real good! So here! Let me just be your slave again. Is that okay? Would you like some pie Harry? Here you go! Here's some pie!" Cho exclaimed grabbing a slice of pie and smashing it all around Harry's face.  
  
Harry's jaw dropped and his eyes got huge suddenly.  
  
Cho gasped.  
  
"Oh my gosh! What have I done? Now he'll never ask me out!" Cho cried, storming out of the Great Hall.  
  
Ron burst into laughter.  
  
"What d'ya know? Operation 'stay away from Hermione and hit on Cho' didn't quite work, now did it?" he said chuckling.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. Then he laughed too.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, what are we going to do now?" Harry asked, washing his face with water and drying with a towel.  
  
"Go talk to Hermione and Cassandra," Ron dully said.  
  
"Sounds like a good plan," Harry replied.  
  
Harry and Ron walked over to Hermione and Cassandra. Hermione caught Harry's eye and instantly felt self-concious.  
  
"I'm sorry Hermione. I've been an idiot," Harry told her.  
  
Hermione's heart melted!  
  
"Oh, it's okay. I suppose I can act like an adult too much sometimes..."  
  
"And I guess I act like I'm a bit special for my dumb scar..."  
  
"And I guess it's none of my business whether you do your homework or not..."  
  
"And I guess I could be nicer to the Dursleys..."  
  
"And I guess I shouldn't act all smart all the time..."  
  
"Stupid fight."  
  
"Friends?" Hermione asked holding out a hand.  
  
Harry shook it and said, "More than friends."  
  
~*~  
  
Cassandra's plan worked and Hermione and Harry were friends again! The Spring Fling was just as much as Cassandra had hoped for and Cho and her little friends got exactly what they had coming.  
  
Sunday afternoon was spent at Hogsmeade, and on Monday classes started again with jolly old Professor Snape – hehe, HARDLY!  
  
"So! I'll be pairing you up – my choice, MIND YOU – and you will be working on the Brain Pain Solution. Cassandra Nicole! Get to Millicent Bulstrode! You'll be partnering with her. Granger with Parkinson, Malfoy with Potter, Weasley with Crabbe..." Professor Snape trailed off.  
  
When he finished pairing everyone together, Hermione hung her head and started measuring tablespoons full of Belladonna.  
  
"I hope you know that you need three tablespoons of that disgusting stuff," Pansy Parkinson said with a nasty look on her face as she started filing her nails.  
  
"Yes I do know that. Would you mind helping me? Or is that too much to ask?" Hermione replied coldly.  
  
"Temper, temper. Grow up Granger. You're smart enough to do the work, I know you can handle it," Pansy replied with every bit of hatred.  
  
Hermione heaved a sigh.  
  
"And I know that you can't! Unless you'd like to prove me wrong..." she trailed off.  
  
"How old do you think I am? Three? Reverse psychology doesn't work on me Granger," Pansy snapped.  
  
"I thought I'd try. You look and act like you're three anyway," Hermione replied, trying hard to keep her cool.  
  
Pansy rolled her eyes.  
  
Hermione shot her a nasty look back. She shrugged and stirred the potion.  
  
~*~  
  
"Your NEWTS are coming up soon. I trust you all are preparing for them!" Professor McGonagall said, passing out one bar of chocolate to each student.  
  
"Very much so. I study as much as I can Professor," Hermione replied.  
  
"That's very good Hermione. However," McGonagall began, turning to the rest of the class. "However, Hermione is the top student in this class, and I doubt any of you are practicing as hard as she is. None of you are to Hermione's level, and you should all be practicing as much as her, if not harder!"  
  
"We aren't practicing as much as her because we have a life," Parvati muttered under her breath to Lavender.  
  
"Miss Patil and Miss Brown. If you have something to share, please share it to the whole class," McGonagall said sharply in front of the whole class.  
  
Snickers arose and McGonagall narrowed her eyes to quickly quiet them.  
  
"No, nothing Professor," Parvati quickly answered.  
  
"Of course. We have nothing to say," Lavender said, meekly bowing her head.  
  
"Then keep your mouths shut!" McGonagall said.  
  
She stepped up from her stool and began to pace the class.  
  
"The NEWTS are so important. I can't stress that you practice enough, what with, graduating and all. To put it mildly, your NEWTS are extremely difficult. They are such like exams, only ten times harder. You will face practical tests as well as written. For Flying, you must go through obstacles. For Transfiguration, you will have many practical tests and one written. For Potions, you will have three practical tests, and one written with over one hundred questions. For Charms, you will have ten practical tests, and some other things I'm not sure about. We will all be telling you what will be on your test, so you know what to look for. It's going to be very hard and that's all I can say. You will start your NEWTS in June, the precise date is not certain, but we will be scheduling everything shortly."  
  
McGonagall sat back down.  
  
"Now! The chocolate I have given you was not intended for you to eat – Longbottom! You have to transfigure it in less than one minute into a chocolate cake. Remember, less than one minute. You will come up to the front of the class and perform your transfiguration. The pressure is on and all for good cause. Do I have any volunteers?"  
  
Most expectedly, Hermione's hand shot straight into the air.  
  
"Very well. Hermione, please come up with your chocolate bar," McGonagall directed.  
  
Hermione stood up and walked to the front of the class. She whipped out her wand and placed the chocolate bar on the stool that McGonagall was sitting on before. She concentrated for a few seconds, and muttered something under her breath when suddenly the chocolate bar became a three layer chocolate cake with candles lit and everything.  
  
McGonagall jumped up and applauded.  
  
"Very good Hermione! But one of your twenty candles just went out, so you'll need to work on that, but other than that, I'd say you did fine!"  
  
Hermione blushed.  
  
"Thank you Professor," she mumbled before taking her seat again.  
  
Cassandra went up next.  
  
She took out her wand and tapped it on the stool. Then she strung it high into the air and brought it down like a whip. Her bar was instantly turned into a chocolate cake, but the candles were all upside down – lit, but upside down when suddenly the cake went on fire.  
  
"Aquaretta!" McGonagall shouted quickly, spraying water all over the cake from the tip of her wand.  
  
"You might want to work on that a bit Cassandra Nicole," she said with a weak smile as she fixed her glasses.  
  
"Of course Professor," Cassandra replied with a friendly smile as she picked up the ashes remaining from her cake and tossed them in the trash.  
  
As she walked back down to her seat she muttered to Hermione, "I'm SO glad I work my plain black work robes today. Otherwise, I would have been in some serious trouble. Black stains all down my front!"  
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
Harry performed his, and then Ron did. Finally they were all done.  
  
"Off you go. Remember, you've got Defense against Dark Arts this afternoon with Slytherin. Be on your best behavior. You have a guest today," McGonagall called as the Gryffindors ran out of the room.  
  
Cassandra, Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked out into the quiet corridors.  
  
"Guest... Hmm, wonder who it could be," Hermione said thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah, really. But let's eat before we wonder anymore. I'm starved!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Okay, okay," Hermione replied.  
  
They rushed into the Great Hall and grabbed platters of what all.  
  
Hermione popped one last crust from her sandwich into her mouth and got up from the table. The other three got up too and they began to walk to Defense against Dark Arts.  
  
"I wonder who the guest is," Hermione said again.  
  
"Well, we're here," Cassandra replied brightly. "See for yourself."  
  
They breezed into Defense against Dark Arts, but they didn't see their teacher, Professor Gallows. Instead they saw a back faced towards them, as a medium sized man wrote something on the board.  
  
When he finished, he moved from the board and turned around.  
  
"Professor Lupin!" Hermione cried.  
  
She didn't think she'd every be so happy to see him (then again, he did look awfully good when Hermione switched bodies with McGonagall).  
  
"Hullo Hermione," he replied with a calm smile.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked with great interest.  
  
"Just filling in for Professor Gallows, seeing as he has taken sick leave for a few days," Lupin replied.  
  
"Taken sick leave? I'm not surprised. He's been looking sort of ill lately," Ron mumbled.  
  
"Yeah, and so has Professor Vector. I'm really worried, he has NOT been himself," Hermione said.  
  
"You've got some competition there Harry," Ron said with a smirk. "Whose it going to be Hermione? Harry or Professor Vector?"  
  
Hermione blushed.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" she said quickly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, sure..." Cassandra trailed off.  
  
Hermione suddenly remembered that Cassandra was with them. She turned to face Professor Lupin.  
  
"Professor Lupin, allow me to introduce you to a very good friend of mine, and a new addition to Gryffindor. She arrived just this year – you know, after that other girl died – and she's from America!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Very nice to meet you," Lupin said politely.  
  
"Pleasure's all mine! My name's Cassandra Nicole Taylor. Call me Cassandra, call me Cassandra Nicole, call me Cassi, just don't call me Taylor. Thanks a bunch!" Cassandra said with a huge smile.  
  
"Wow," Lupin said a bit overwhelmed.  
  
"She's always like that. I think she's on a sugar diet," Ron said with a smile.  
  
"But she doesn't look like it," Hermione said, gesturing to Cassandra's slim stomach.  
  
Cassandra was actually looking very pretty today. Her curly black hair was pulled back with silver hair clips. She was wearing a black work robe, mascara, powder, and tan eye shadow. She looked fairly simple, but she also looked cute.  
  
Hermione was also wearing a black robe. It was becoming more and more important to wear the school's black robes, although most of the girls that reached their seventh year always were different colored ones. Recently, all the professors had been going hard down on everyone, and that included wearing multicolor robes. Hermione's hair was in a ponytail and she had blue eye shadow, clear mascara, and light powder.  
  
Hermione's momentary smile turned into a frown again.  
  
"So, do you know what exactly has happened to Professor Gallows?" she asked with a worried tone in her voice.  
  
"I don't know. He had to leave very abruptly though. I wonder what was so urgent that he had to leave the school though," Lupin replied.  
  
"All our Defense teachers have been fishy. They always do something weird," Ron muttered. Then he looked up at Lupin. "I wasn't including you when I said that – honest, really!"  
  
Lupin laughed.  
  
"I believe you Ron," he said with a bit of that Dumbledore twinkle flashing in his eyes.  
  
After they finished laughing, they were about to take their seats.  
  
Suddenly they heard a cold voice come from outside that said, "Well, well, well. If it isn't the resident werewolf!" 


	32. The Secret Meeting

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Secret Meeting  
  
Where had Hermione heard those cold words before?  
  
When you were in McGonagall's body, Hermione told herself silently.  
  
"Back again?" the nasty voice said.  
  
Hermione, Cassandra, Ron, and Harry all looked up. They saw Draco Malfoy standing tall with Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.  
  
"Why don't you put your foot where your mouth is Malfoy?" Harry replied with anger.  
  
"Why don't you make me?" Malfoy shot back.  
  
"Boys, boys, please calm down," Lupin mumbled.  
  
"Oh yeah. Who's going to make me? You? Where the hell is Professor Gallows? He's the only good Defense against Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Malfoy exclaimed.  
  
Malfoy only liked Professor Gallows because he stressed Dark Arts rather than Defense against it.  
  
Come to think of it, Harry probably only liked the class because Dumbledore and Lupin were urging him to study Dark Arts as much as possible, Hermione thought to herself.  
  
"Why don't you shut up Malfoy? Professor Lupin is only here until Professor Gallows gets back. He's sick, got that?" Hermione asked very abruptly.  
  
"Don't tell me what to do and what not to do you little Mudblood!" Malfoy retorted.  
  
"Take that back you filthy –" "Ron!" Hermione cried. "Unless you want to be mopping up all of your 'Pure' blood in a few seconds!"  
  
"Language, language. I never thought you'd resort to that. Then again, you are scum, so I guess I'm not surprised," Malfoy said.  
  
"Eat your words Draco! We don't want trouble. Got that?" Cassandra said pointedly.  
  
Malfoy shot Ron, Harry, and Hermione a dirty look and then shifted off.  
  
Hermione stared at Cassandra in amazement.  
  
"How do you do that?" she asked.  
  
Cassandra laughed airily.  
  
"I told you already. I've got skill."  
  
Hermione playfully slapped Cassandra on the back.  
  
"Cassandra Nicole Taylor, you'll never learn," she said, sitting down.  
  
Cassandra sat in front of her and leaned back, whispering, "I know," with a huge grin.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a quill and a bottle of Sabrina's Super Change-A-Color Ink.  
  
Lupin went to the front of the class and started to speak.  
  
"Professor Gallows is not able to attend class today and he has taken sick leave," Lupin began, but he was interrupted by the Slytherin's boos and cat-calls.  
  
Lupin started again. "Therefore, I will be subbing for him."  
  
The Slytherin students started jeering again. They got louder and louder. Only till Professor Filtwick popped in, did they tone down a bit.  
  
"It's much too loud in here Professor Lupin! Please try to keep it down a bit," Filtwick muttered with a hint of frustration in his voice.  
  
"I'm sorry Professor Filtwick. I'll do my best to keep them quiet from now on," Lupin replied.  
  
"Yes! See to it that it does!" Filtwick said impatiently, scurrying out the door.  
  
Cassandra frowned at Draco.  
  
"Look at what you've done! You got Lupin in trouble! That was so mean!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
Draco shut up and shot looks at Crabbe and Goyle to quiet them down. Pansy suddenly got very angry and shot a dirty look at Cassandra.  
  
"Look here Taylor! No one died and made you boss. Draco can do whatever he wants," she said smugly.  
  
"Just shut up Pansy!" Draco commanded.  
  
"But Draco, she has no right to –"  
  
"I said shut up!"  
  
Pansy turned to her book after throwing another 'look' towards Cassandra.  
  
Finally the whole class settled down and Lupin went about with the lesson.  
  
"We're going to be learning a few curses today. I'll tell you about the first one now. It's called the Microplague Curse. Now, you actually say Micromeria, but I'm going to need a helper right quick," Lupin said.  
  
Harry volunteered.  
  
"Great. Now help me move this in front of the desk," Lupin said.  
  
Lupin and Harry shifted a heavy cabinet to the front of the class.  
  
"Great!" Lupin exclaimed. "You can sit down now."  
  
Harry went back to his seat and Lupin continued.  
  
"The Microplague Curse makes something a thousand times smaller than it really is. It's counter-curse is the Macroplague Curse. They're both going to come in handy today. But you need to be quick. Now, watch this!"  
  
Lupin shouted, "Micromeria!" at the cabinet and it shrunk so that the most anyone could see was a tiny speck on the ground.  
  
"Ingenious really to whoever invented the Curse. You can shrink a forest if you're in a maze. You can shrink someone's clothes if you want revenge. You can do almost anything," Lupin said.  
  
He fiddled with his wand and shouted, "Macromeria!"  
  
The cabinet jumped back into it's regular size.  
  
"Quite easy, quite easy. Now I'm going to perform the curse on Harry, as he is my helper," Lupin said.  
  
Harry stood up again, a bit nervously. His want was in his pant pocket and he walked to the front of the class.  
  
"Micromeria!" Lupin shouted.  
  
Harry felt a pain in his head, suddenly blood was rushing every which way and he closed his eyes.  
  
A few seconds later he opened them and saw a huge pillar – no wait! That was a leg of a chair. He saw everyone's dragonhide boots covered in mud. He saw buttons large enough to be rafts of a kind.  
  
"Harry, how are you going to get big again?" Lupin asked.  
  
His voice sounded very far away.  
  
"I don't know!" Harry yelled loudly, but all that Lupin could hear was a tiny squeak.  
  
"Rule number one!" Lupin explained. "Always have your wand with you!"  
  
"I got that!" Harry yelled, louder than ever.  
  
"I think I just heard you say you got that. Is that right Harry?" Lupin asked, extremely nonchalantly.  
  
"YES!!!!!!!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Oh, good, good. Glad to hear," Lupin replied, humming into the air.  
  
Some of the Slytherin's started snickering.  
  
Lupin was starting to get on Harry's nerves.  
  
"Lupin! You had better get me big again!" Harry shouted.  
  
"Oh no, Harry. You can do that yourself," Lupin quietly replied.  
  
What the heck is he talking about? Harry thought.  
  
Then slowly it came to him.  
  
"Of course!" he exclaimed.  
  
He pulled his wand out of his pant pocket and pointed it to himself.  
  
"Macromeria!" he shouted.  
  
Suddenly all his blood went down to his feet and he blinked a few times to find himself, life size again.  
  
All of Gryffindor started clapping.  
  
"Way to go!" Ron yelled.  
  
"I knew you could do it on your own," Lupin said with a grin.  
  
Harry grinned sheepishly back.  
  
"Yeah, well, you could have told me what I needed to do, before you made me a midget, you know."  
  
"Part of teaching a class, is to see what the students already know. And I see that you knew that you were going to need your wand. Good thing you kept it close to you, otherwise you might have been small forever. The great wizard always takes precautions," Lupin said.  
  
"Like Alastor Moody, you mean?" Harry asked wearily.  
  
"Not quite, but you're getting the idea," Lupin replied with a laugh.  
  
~*~  
  
As soon as Defense against Dark Arts class finished, Hermione rushed over to McGonagall's office. She wanted to see if they had found the counter-curse yet.  
  
The door was wide open, and Hermione found that a bit queer. She didn't go in though, because she heard low murmurs. She went in a bit, right behind the door and saw McGonagall and Dumbledore talking quietly. Now she couldn't go back outside because a student would spot her, and she couldn't go in any further, otherwise McGonagall would see her and have her hide.  
  
I'm such an idiot!  
  
"Yes, it's a good thing Lupin could come on such short notice," Dumbledore said gravely.  
  
"I know, but I fear that there's someone else here..." McGonagall trailed off.  
  
Hermione snuck under McGonagall's desk quickly.  
  
What are they talking about??????? She thought to herself.  
  
"Professor Gallows, I had my suspicions of from the beginning," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Well for crying out loud, why did you get him then?" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
"Calm yourself Minerva. Harry needed to learn all that Dark Arts stuff, you know that and I know that," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Well of course," Minerva mumbled.  
  
"So, we did what we had to do. Your suspicions may be the same as mine – if you are thinking of who I am," Dumbledore said.  
  
He dropped his voice to a whisper and mumbled something Hermione couldn't understand.  
  
"Exactly what I think!" McGonagall exclaimed, also in a whisper.  
  
Hermione's heart started beating a bit faster.  
  
She crouched down further.  
  
"Well, I had better leave. I don't want anyone knowing about our meeting and I don't want 'him' thinking that we know anything," Dumbledore said.  
  
He! It's a 'he' that they're talking about! Hermione anxiously thought.  
  
"Yes, I think I'll go and grab a bite to eat at the Great Hall," Professor McGonagall said.  
  
Dumbledore and McGonagall swiftly brushed out of the room, and slowly Hermione's heart-beat went back down to normal.  
  
Hermione brushed the dust off her work robes. She slowly got up and crept out of the room – confusion deep in her mind.  
  
~*~  
  
"You saw what?" Harry asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah, I know. But all I know is that the 'person' that turned or is turning against us is a guy," Hermione said shakily.  
  
Hermione shivered. Monday night, after all their classes had finished, she told Harry everything. Now they were in the Gryffindor common room, in a corner, away from everyone else.  
  
Luckily Ron and Cassandra decided to go for a walk. Now they could talk alone.  
  
"Go for it!" Hermione had urged with a bright smile to Cassandra.  
  
But after they had left, Hermione felt guilty. She felt guilty for hiding everything from Ron and Cassandra. Especially Ron.  
  
Not so much Cassandra because she didn't really and truly understand what was going on. She was too busy with her little 'Happy-go-Lucky' world to listen to any bad news.  
  
And then there was Ron. Ron, who had been there for everything. Ron, who was part of the Three Musketteers and was there for everything.  
  
It practically broke Hermione's heart that she had to keep everything from him.  
  
"I have to," Hermione desperately told herself over and over again.  
  
"So, Professor Gallows was one of them," Harry said out loud. He seemed to be thinking about something.  
  
"Yeah? How does that help?" Hermione asked with a confused expression on her face.  
  
"Wasn't Professor Gallows looking sicker and sicker? I mean, we weren't all that surprised when we found out that he had taken Sick Leave," Harry said thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, yeah... But I still don't get it," Hermione replied helplessly.  
  
"Look at the clues Hermione, look at the clues," Harry repeated.  
  
"I'm looking. Tell me what I'm seeing," Hermione said.  
  
"Look at the pattern. You get sicker and sicker, until finally you have to take sick leave. The person's a guy. There's only one person it can be Hermione. You know it, and I know it," Harry told her.  
  
"Oh my God, NO!" Hermione screamed. 


	33. Professor Vector's Secret (Parts One and...

Chapter Thirty-Three: Professor Vector's Secret (Part One)  
  
"No Harry! It can't be! It just can't be! It's impossible!" Hermione screeched.  
  
"That's who it is. All the evidence points towards him," Harry replied as calmly as he could.  
  
"That's horrible! I would have never dreamed that it would be – Professor Vector," Hermione said, hanging her head.  
  
"You've been telling us all along that Professor Vector keeps getting sicker and sicker. Who else would Dumbledore and McGonagall have been talking about, if not Gallows? Then, you follow that same pattern. Just keep getting sick – until you can't take it anymore. Until you can't take Voldemort's punishment anymore. So you collapse. You fall dead to the ground and die, die, cold and hard because you can't take it anymore. That's all there is to it. It's only a matter of time – before Professor Vector is taking his sick leave. You know it, and I know it. And then Gallows and Vector are either going to die, or have to join Voldemort. More power to them," Harry finished with a bitter chuckle.  
  
"He was the last person I'd have ever thought of," Hermione said softly.  
  
"I know it's hard on you, but now that we know, we're going to have to take pre-cautions," Harry said wisely.  
  
Hermione stopped trembling.  
  
"All right then," she said shakily.  
  
She wiped tears from her eyes just in time. Cassandra and Ron were crawling through the Portrait Hole.  
  
"I think it's time we went to bed," Hermione announced.  
  
"Okay. That's cool. I've had a long day," Cassandra said with a huge yawn.  
  
"Yeah, okay. Good night," Ron said.  
  
"Right. Good night," Harry told them all.  
  
Hermione walked up the stairs and cried herself to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
"Have you figured it out yet?"  
  
"Just about Hermione."  
  
"You've been saying that forever now, Professor."  
  
"I know Hermione, but every day we're closer and closer to breaking those charms that repell us from finding the true curse."  
  
"Well, thank you Professor McGonagall. That's all I wanted to know."  
  
"Please don't be upset Hermione. We were on it every spare moment we get."  
  
"Oh, puh-leeze Professor! Spare moment? I'm sorry, but I think you should be thinking just a bit harder about this. Harry's life is at stake, not to mention mine, yours, and so many others. Are you just going to treat this like some extra credit assignment that you do in your spare time? Better watch it – or else..."  
  
"Hermione! Don't talk that way to me!"  
  
"With all due respect, I don't like the way you're running this business."  
  
"What was respectful about that Miss Granger?"  
  
"Never mind. And to make you angrier at me, I'm going to tell you something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That meeting you and Professor Dumbledore had? I sort of heard you guys talking."  
  
"Miss Granger!"  
  
"I'm sorry Professor, but you've got to understand that it wasn't intentional."  
  
"Oh, I'm so sure."  
  
"Please don't be sarcastic Professor!"  
  
"Don't tell me what to do Hermione."  
  
"Well, I am saying this much for sure; find the counter-curse before it's too late. Good bye Professor McGonagall!"  
  
~*~  
  
Wednesday morning was so beautiful. The sky was full of promise and hope. It shined the lightest blue and puffy clouds swirled around. The clouds were like servants of the sun, floating along the atmosphere and sliding towards the sun, as his royal majesty beckoned for them to come forward. It was all very magical in the sense that magic was like romance and fear, concern and hatred, and so much more.  
  
Owls outside were hooting quietly. Even they knew that today was to calm of a day to stir up anger and noise. The lake was a brooding blue tone and the Giant Squid could be seen picking up bread crusts, one of it's arms coming out past the surface of the water, and then slowing sinking back in.  
  
The grass was springy and had a sense of energy, just making you want to think it was the perfect day.  
  
Maybe today was really going to be a perfect day. It would be so much better than the other recent days Hermione had been having. Those were worse than the place down under, and you can't get much worse than that. After her conversation with Professor McGonagall, Hermione went to sleep almost at once. She fell into a deep sleep until Cassandra awoke her the next morning.  
  
Now Hermione was slipping on a green cloak (the color of Harry's eyes) and muttering her daily schedule to herself.  
  
Although the day was crisp and clean, the real weather was not. Somehow, cold had fallen over Hogwarts and many of the students were getting sick. It all started last night. Hermione, not wanting that to happen to herself, decided to take an extra precaution by wearing a cloak over her work robes. Besides, she had Care of Magical Creatures today anyway, so she'd be outdoors. She also had Herbology.  
  
Feeling that she could really use a perfect day, Hermione entered the Great Hall.  
  
The owls swooped down over her head and threw packages into many student's hands. Hermione ducked as quick as she could but an owl swerved into one of her pleats and made her scalp not only hurt, but messed up a braid.  
  
"Stupid owl!" she muttered.  
  
So much for her perfect day...  
  
Hermione and Cassandra sat down at the Gryffindor table with some toast. Hermione absentmindedly sprinkled salt all over her toast with butter. She took a bite out of it.  
  
"Gross!" she exclaimed.  
  
Cassandra handed Hermione her (surprisingly) untouched piece of toast and went to grab another one. Hermione took the toast in her hands and took a bite, slowly chewing it and looking in the sky.  
  
"Are you okay Hermione?" Harry asked feeling Hermione's head.  
  
"Yeah, I'm okay," Hermione replied, not feeling okay at all.  
  
"Earth to Hermione, earth to Hermione," Ron called.  
  
"She's out of it today. Best we leave her alone," Cassandra whispered to Ron and Harry.  
  
"Er, okay," Harry said, looking a bit confused.  
  
"Just trust me. Cassandra knows best," Cassandra replied with a grin.  
  
Ron grinned back.  
  
"We've got Care of Magical Creatures today with Professor Grubbly-Plank. I think we're supposed to be studying Werewolves today. We're only reading about them... Professor Grubbly-Plank figures that it's too dangerous to actually care for one. Then we've got Herbology. This should be fun. We're creating Tranquilizing Solutions with the Marmaseta Weed and the Bollabinga Plant," Harry said.  
  
"Yuck! The Marmaseta Weed smells disgusting!" Ron exclaimed, making a face.  
  
"But when it's combined with diced Bollabinga and about a gallon of Trylexweed juice, it is an excellent tranquilizing solution," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Well it still smells bad," Ron grunted.  
  
"All you do is complain!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"It's what I do best," Ron replied.  
  
"And this is what I do best," Cassandra said, planting a kiss on his forehead and standing up innocently.  
  
Harry looked at the dazed expression on Ron's face and rolled his eyes.  
  
"Let's go," he said.  
  
Ron and Cassandra stood up.  
  
"Hermione! It's time to go to Care of Magical Creatures now!" Cassandra called.  
  
"Yeah, Earth to Hermione..." Ron muttered under his breath to Harry.  
  
"What?" Hermione asked, as if she was called out of another dimension.  
  
"It's time to go!" Cassandra replied loudly.  
  
"Oh! Okay..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
She stood up but tripped on her purse. She grabbed her purse out from under the table and swung it over her shoulder. Then she somehow managed to follow Harry, Ron, and Cassandra and get out of the Great Hall in one piece.  
  
~*~  
  
"Werewolves are very dangerous! We won't be working with them, but we will learn about them... as they are magical creatures," Professor Grubbly-Plank said to the Slytherins and Gryffindors.  
  
"Oh yeah, they're so dangerous!" Ron feigned horror.  
  
"Yeah, really. I hate this teacher. I think I want to say something, and I'll say it," Harry snapped, sick of having this excellent teacher who was much better than Hagrid. Harry really felt offended on Hagrid's part.  
  
"Er, Professor! Yes, I know a werewolf who isn't very dangerous at all! His name is Professor Remus Lupin and he's teaching here at Hogwarts!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"What? There's a werewolf here?" Professor Grubbly-Plank exclaimed incredulously.  
  
  
Part Two:  
  
"Do you mean to tell me that there is a hideous werewolf on Hogwarts grounds?" Professor Grubbly-Plank asked with an expression on her face that looked like she just drank spoiled milk.  
  
Hermione suddenly got out of her sappy mood. She jumped up and blew up before Professor Grubbly-Plank.  
  
"How dare you be so hypocritical? Don't you know that that type of bigotry will get the Wizarding community NOWHERE? I mean, I would have at least thought that a Professor would have had the curtsey, respect, and knowledge to know that all of that hideous werewolf stuff is all nonsense!" Hermione shouted at the top of her voice.  
  
"You're so mean!" Cassandra exclaimed at Professor Grubbly-Plank, agreeing with Hermione.  
  
"Yeah! You didn't even care about Hagrid, and you don't care about Professor Lupin!" Ron said angrily.  
  
Harry stood up.  
  
"You aren't cut out to be a teacher. Even if you do know a lot, Hagrid knew more about caring that you do. After all, isn't this class called 'caring' for magical creatures? Where do you get off caring about werewolves? If you really did, you wouldn't be saying things like this!" Harry spat out.  
  
Professor Grubbly-Plank looked outraged. The sweat glands on her face were shaking with water and her dimple of a face was squashed like a bright red tomato.  
  
This did NOT look like a woman to cross, but they did it anyway.  
  
"How dare you? I'm a respected Professor and I will not have students speaking to me like that! Are you understood? All four of you will receive detentions for this! Now I'm going straight to the headmaster and demanding an explanation about this so called werewolf among us!" Professor Grubbly-Plank exclaimed.  
  
Her fat body was jiggling up and down as she was stomping out of the Stables. Her entire class followed her, including Hermione, Harry, Cassandra, and Ron who were all extremely angry and furious at the Professor.  
  
There was a long path from the Stables to Hogwarts. They followed Professor Grubbly-Plank till the entrance. Then they followed her some more to Dumbledore's floor. Then they followed her to Dumbledore's corridor. Finally they followed Professor Grubbly-Plank straight to the path towards Dumbledore's office when they actually saw Dumbledore walking towards it himself.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore! Will you please tell me what's going on?" Professor Grubbly-Plank screeched.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore asked flashing a bright twinkle with his eyes.  
  
"Your little secret Dumbledore... Spill it!" Grubbly-Plank said impatiently.  
  
"I haven't the faintest what you're talking about. Do start again," Dumbledore replied with a calm smile.  
  
"Dumbledore! Don't play dumb with me! I know what's going on. You've got a werewolf teaching here. These little brats told me all about it! I can't believe you let one of those hideous creatures inside!" Grubbly-Plank said defiantely.  
  
"Professor please. Professor Lupin is a very qualified teacher and he is only filling in for Professor Gallows while he is on sick leave. As soon as Professor Gallows returns, Professor Lupin will leave and you won't have to worry about it anymore," Dumbledore said flatly.  
  
"You've got to be kidding! A werewolf? Come on Dumbledore!" Grubbly-Plank exclaimed, sounding very childish.  
  
"Professor Grubbly-Plank, I'm sorry. The matter is now closed until I decide to reopen it. Good day to you," Dumbledore said swiftly, slipping into his chambers.  
  
Grubbly-Plank started muttering things under her breath that were only too kind.  
  
From the corner of her eye Hermione noticed Professor McGonagall running breathlessly towards them.  
  
"Hermione! Hermione! Where have you been? I thought that you were in Care of Magical Creatures? What are you doing here?" she asked taking a huge breath of air.  
  
"We had to er, come here..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Well, I need you immediately! Will you come please? I'll excuse you from the rest of your class," McGonagall said.  
  
"Er, okay..."  
  
Hermione waved goodbye to Harry, Cassandra, and Ron and followed McGonagall to her office.  
  
"What were you all doing down there?" McGonagall asked frankly bewildered.  
  
"Grubbly-Plank thinks that Lupin shouldn't be allowed to teach here," Hermione replied.  
  
"What a bigot! I can't believe that she'd be so heartless. Lupin is a perfectly wonderful..." McGonagall trailed off blushing, and Hermione hid a giggle.  
  
There was a moments worth of silence. Then Hermione spoke.  
  
"So what's so urgent? Has somebody died again?" Hermione asked dully.  
  
"Don't get smart, and don't be joking about this. Dumbledore got another issue of the Netherworld," McGonagall said dramatically.  
  
"The Netherworld? Isn't that the Dark Arts newspaper that talked about Voldemort killing Harry?" Hermione asked with her eyes widening.  
  
"Yes. And it's no good this time either. See for yourself," Professor McGonagall said, handing Hermione the newspaper.  
  
The Netherworld:  
  
The Dark Lord's School for the Dark  
  
Written by Nade Noat  
  
Our great dark lord has been working harder and harder and is finally coming to victory. His recent killings consist of a half-giant and one of his back-turning betrayors. We hope that anyone who turns against the dark lord is killed instantly for that's all they deserve. Which brings me to the part in my article about the Potter boy...   
  
He has turned against our lord so many times before, but this time we won't let it happen. We've planted two, yes two dark servants at Hogwarts and they have been doing their job. Unfortunately, one of them has failed and is now going back to The Dark Institution of Recuperating Castle until he restores some health. Then he shall be going back to the Hogwarts school and finishing his mission. In the meantime, one of our kind is still at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was he who slipped another dark servant's (in training) name into the Goblet of Fire.   
  
Although this servant is very weak, we are hoping that he will accomplish his goal, which is to kill Harry Potter as they perform their tasks. So far no battling tasks have been in order, but another dark servant has informed us of what the third task will consist of and we are eagerly waiting for Harry Potter to be drawn into the Dark Lord's hands once more.   
  
In the meantime, our lord has been working on gaining his powers back. He has gotten so many already, but he needs more. So much more, so that he can defeat the world of Muggles. Our lord has been killing people with the symbolic scar and then disapperating instantly back to The Dark Institution of Recuperating Castle.   
  
If you are in need of more dark training and wish to pursue it to greater heights then send an owl to myself, Nade Noat, and I will owl you back a packet of information concerning enrollment in this Institution.   
  
The Dark Lord takes pride in teaching one of the classes out of so many, and this class is the Unforgivable Curses. He spends day after day, night after night, for two hours to each class on performing the Unforgivable Curses and just those. After all... there is only one way to stop the Unforgivable Curse... but we aren't giving that secret away so easily. It is all at The Dark Institution of Recuperating Castle and you need to enroll right away as their is a limited amount of spots left.   
  
For now, this is Nade Noat, and I'm going to be continuing these reports until the Dark Lord triumphs over Harry Potter!  
  
Hermione shuddered.  
  
She put the paper down and looked up at McGonagall.  
  
"Isn't it horrible?" McGonagall asked dramatically.  
  
"It sure is. More and more people are going to the dark lord's side," Hermione replied sadly.  
  
"Yes! And I don't know how they know all this stuff about the Third Task and how Draco got into the Goblet of Fire in the first place. Hermione, I have to tell you something that might come as a shock to you," McGonagall said hesitantly.  
  
"Save your breath. I already know what it is. Professor Vector is the other one that is doing secret service for the Dark Lord," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.  
  
"What? How do you already know?" McGonagall asked with an expression of shock flat across her face.  
  
"I followed the patterns Professor. So did Harry. They both got sick, and soon enough when Vector needs to recuperate, he'll go back to that castle and get his dark strength back. Then he'll come back here and strike for Harry. That's what their plan is anyway," Hermione said glumly.  
  
"Be as it may, we're not going to let that happen. First of all, we're going to be extremely protective. There will only be six people in on this, and six it shall remain. The six will be you, Harry of course, Dumbledore, myself, Lupin, and Black. That will be it. I know Ron has been in on your little adventures, but I think it would be best if he wasn't in on this one. As for Cassandra, I know she's a dear friend to you, but she does not know anything about the matter and there's no reason letting her in on it, as it will only trouble her and complicate the rest of our lives," McGonagall finished.  
  
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Just keep it between the four adults and me and Harry," Hermione replied, jumping up eagerly.  
  
"So we're agreed?" McGonagall asked, holding out her hand.  
  
Hermione took it and shook her hand hard saying, "Agreed."  
  
Hermione flopped down on a chair and heaved a huge sigh. McGonagall fiddled with her hair and sat down at her desk with a quill and a bottle of ink. She looked ready to compose something, but looks like she had other plans.  
  
She looked Hermione straight in the eye.  
  
"Terrific," she said. "Now bring me Harry." 


	34. Godric's Sword

Chapter Thirty-Four: Godric's Sword  
  
Hermione ran into McGonagall's office with Harry right behind her.  
  
They slammed the door shut and McGonagall almost smiled at seeing Harry.  
  
"Here he is Professor," Hermione said breathlessly, looking like she just ran a marathon across Hogwarts grounds, trying to find Harry.  
  
"She just got me. I was about to go practice Quidditch," Harry said with a feeble smile.  
  
"It's good that you didn't. We need to talk Harry," McGonagall said, as gently as possible.  
  
Harry suddenly frowned.  
  
"What about?" he asked sharply.  
  
"Well, I think you need to read something..." McGonagall trailed off.  
  
"And I think you need to sit down," she added.  
  
Harry flopped down into a chair, and Hermione did the same.  
  
"If it's another one of those stupid articles about me, I'll..." Harry threatened.  
  
"I'm afraid it is," McGonagall replied.  
  
She hesitantly pulled the paper out of her desk drawer and handed it to Harry. She took her seat as Harry took the magazine.  
  
Hermione watched as Harry's green eyes widened as he read through the article. She saw him mouth The Dark Institution of Recuperating Castle and shake his head wearily.  
  
Hermione cringed. She felt sick to her stomach with pity for Harry. It wasn't fair that he had to be put through so much. It wasn't fair that the boy she cared for, more than anything or anyone in the world, had to be treated like this.   
  
Of course, his bravery and courage was what attracted Hermione the most, but when she saw those green eyes, filled with sadness, she bit hard on her lip to stop tears from coming to her eyes.  
  
After Harry finished reading, he returned the article to Professor McGonagall with a shaky hand. A shiver ran down his spine and Hermione had tears brimming in her eyes.  
  
"Well, you know that it is indeed Professor Vector," Professor McGonagall said.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I do," Harry replied, numbly. He felt as though half his body was frozen. He wanted to fall into a deep sleep for twenty or so years. Then he could wake up and not have to deal with all these problems.  
  
No, I'm Harry Potter. I'll always have some type of problem, he thought glumly.  
  
Making the best of things, Harry looked forward and faced Professor McGonagall.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" he asked.  
  
"Well, Lily – er, your mother – had some Slytherin blood and some Gryffindor blood in her. I'll explain later," McGonagall said, quickly catching Harry's shocked eye.  
  
"Okay, well, please explain THOROUGHLY later, but just get to the point now," Harry said, brushing her off.  
  
McGonagall nodded.  
  
"Of course. Well, Lily had more Gryffindor in her, than Slytherin, but if Lily went to Gryffindor, then Slytherin would loose it's power forever. So, the Sorting Hat realized that, and put your mother in Slytherin with Tom Riddle, the only other heir of Slytherin. Your father, James Potter had Gryffindor blood in him. And so do you. The Sorting Hat must have said something to you about being suitable to Slytherin, didn't it Harry?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"Yes, it did. But I never thought that...."  
  
"It told me that I would have been good in Ravenclaw because I was smart. What's that supposed to mean? I'm in Gryffindor and so is Harry. It shouldn't have to change anything!" Hermione exclaimed, unable to control herself.  
  
"Hermione, calm down," Harry said as gently as he possibly could.  
  
"Harry! Hear me out! You aren't Slytherin material! You'll never ever be as cold and harsh and cruel as Draco Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Hermione! May I continue?" McGonagall said narrowing her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just couldn't help it," Hermione mumbled, wiping her tears away.  
  
"Yes, well... Tom loved Lily. He really, honestly did. He hated almost everything else. Dark magic had already been conquering him. He was simply brilliant beyond anything else. He could put a plan together quicker than Slytherin, himself. So when James took Lily away from him, he was thinking and thinking hard. If there's one thing you needed to know about Tom Riddle, it was that he didn't get mad. Oh no, he never got mad. He just got revenge. He got exactly what he wanted, no matter what he was, and where he was, he got his revenge," McGonagall said.  
  
"How cruel!" Hermione exclaimed frowning.  
  
McGonagall gave her a look, as if to tell her not to interrupt, because it was hard enough to be talking about all the horrible memories.  
  
That shut Hermione up – for a bit.  
  
McGonagall took her hair down and let her long hair flow out. Harry never realized that McGonagall had long hair, as it was always in a type of tight bun. McGonagall shook her head and her black hair shook a bit. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail like thing. Then she looked back at Harry and Hermione and continued to talk.  
  
"Tom already hated James, for he was the Gryffindor heir. So, as he didn't want Lily mixing with anyone in Gryffindor, he couldn't bare the idea even more of Lily liking James. It was especially critical for Tom to keep Lily away from anyone in Gryffindor because if Lily got too close to Gryffindor people, then she might have decided to become like a Gryffindor. Lily was very intelligent. She was just like Tom, so to speak. She was smart, brilliant, and all her teachers loved her, simply loved her. Her only fault was that she was in Slytherin. I'm surprised people didn't get a clue there, that she wasn't all Muggle. As if the sorting hat would have ever picked muggle blood to go in Slytherin," McGonagall said with a bitter laugh.  
  
Then she remembered what she was doing and became serious again.  
  
"Be as it may, Lily and Tom had a relationship. James took Lily away from Tom and Tom swore to get revenge. He was already plotting to kill James anyway. He knew that James was the only Gryffindor heir, next to Lily of course. He also knew that once Lily started hanging around daily with James, that she would leave Tom – forever. Tom Riddle was a smart man, that's for sure. He knew that James gave Lily a bracelet. It was a sign that James loved Lily. Tom didn't want Lily to know that he knew about her and James, because Tom thought that Lily would run away with James and be lost from Tom's life forever. Instead, he put a curse on the necklace, so that any one from Gryffindor would be hurt if they came too close to Lily. When Hermione time traveled, she got the bracelet from Lily and gave it to me."  
  
"About that bracelet. Have you gotten your counter-curse yet?" Hermione asked sharply.  
  
McGonagall gave a quick glance Hermione's way.  
  
"We are so close to breaking all the charms on the bracelet. We've got through about twenty of them already. I can't imagine how Tom managed to put so many of them on the bracelet with Lily wearing it practically at all times. He couldn't have possibly put many more on, so we're incredibly close to finding the counter-curse. With the counter-curse, we'll see what power Slytherin had, that made Gryffindor's incredibly weak. With that counter-curse we shall make a Potion. I'm sure Severus wouldn't mind brewing one up for us. You will take that Potion, Harry. You will take it, and although you will have more Dark Power, you will have stronger power. The stronger power will help you fight Voldemort and increase your chances of winning. Are we understood?" McGonagall asked, finishing quickly.  
  
"Yeah," Harry mumbled, completely frozen this time.  
  
"I don't believe this," Hermione managed to say.  
  
She stood up from her cold and hard chair.  
  
"It's finally making sense! This is what it all means!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down.  
  
"I mean, when you had asked me to do that time-traveling bit, I thought you were insane! I only went along with it because I thought it would help Harry, and I wasn't even sure of that! Tell me more! I'm so absolutely thrilled that this is all finally fitting!" Hermione shouted.  
  
"All right. I'll tell you more. Only because I think you need to hear this," McGonagall said.  
  
She paused and took a huge breath, then she continued.  
  
"Harry, do you remember how your parent's death went?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"Well, yeah. Voldemort told me that my mother didn't have to die. She would have been able to live. He told me that he only wanted to kill my dad..." Harry gasped. "And me!"  
  
McGonagall looked oddly triumphant.  
  
"Exactly what I suspected! I knew it! Harry, he didn't want to kill your mother. In fact, that was the last thing he wanted to do. He just wanted to get your Gryffindor father out of the way. Then he saw you! He saw the one person he hated – more than he hated James Potter. He saw Harry Potter. Even if he did kill James, he'd have to kill you too. So, he tried to kill you! But he failed. Lily was protecting you. Lily didn't want to see you die. She wanted you to live. She was too sweet and too innocent to stay away from Tom in the first place. Tom got her hooked. But not hooked enough," McGonagall said with a satisfying smile.  
  
She continued.  
  
"Lily died for you, and then you lived. You lived Harry. You're a Gryffindor. You've got Godric Gryffindor's blood in you from both sides. You are a true Gryffindor. You are Harry Potter. The Potter that's going to get Voldemort out of the picture, forever!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
"I remember in my second year that I had pulled Godric Gryffindor's sword out of the Sorting Hat. Dumbledore told me that only a true Gryffindor would have pulled Godric's sword out of that hat. Was that what he meant?" Harry asked, a bit queasy from all the excitement.  
  
"Absolutely Harry! You're catching on. You are the true Gryffindor. The only reason we've been so keen on you. The only reason you've been chosen and seperated. You're mother and father were two of the best wizards in the world. They were brilliant! They were ingenious! They were everything that Voldemort needed to have the greatest team in the world. Even if Voldemort wouldn't have known that James had Gryffindor blood in him, he still wouldn't have ever been able to turn James into a Dark Wizard and he knew that. So he had to turn Lily into one, but it didn't work. She got killed instead!"  
  
"My mother! Voldemort loved my mother! My mother had a thing with that son of a – "   
  
"HARRY!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
McGonagall gave them both a look. Then she got up from her chair and put a determined expression on her face. She faced Hermione and Harry and said a few words in a bare whisper, but Harry and Hermione heard it all.  
  
"No need for language," McGonagall said.   
  
"This surely isn't the time! It is the time to be strong, courageous, and prepare. We must all prepare for the battle of our lives," McGonagall replied solemnly. 


	35. The Unexpected Visitors

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Unexpected Visitors  
  
The battle of their lives.  
  
Hermione remembered McGonagall saying that. It seemed like ages ago, but in truth it was only two days ago.  
  
Now it was Thursday. Hermione was sitting on top of her bed with a few pumpkin pasties and Cassandra on the ground, complaining about her CD player.  
  
"It isn't working! This really stinks. I got it for Christmas, and it isn't working!" she exclaimed grumpily.  
  
"Haven't you ever read Hogwarts; A History?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Hogwarts, a WHAT?" Cassandra asked with a confused expression on her face.  
  
"It's a book about our school. And it states specifically in chapter thirty-four that no Muggle electronics can work inside of Hogwarts or on Hogwarts grounds."  
  
"Oh, neat. Oh, well. I guess I can forget about listening to Mariah Carey."  
  
"You like that hoochie?"  
  
"Not quite. I like her music a bit though. Donavon gave me the CD for Christmas. Donavon, you know, my friend in New York? Speaking of Donavon... in a recent letter from him... he told me that he saw you at my house and he thinks that you're incredibly hot!"  
  
"When did he even see me? I don't remember seeing him."  
  
"He probably saw you walking outside or something. Not that it matters or anything. You're too busy with Harry..." Cassandra trailed off.  
  
"Well, yeah. Of course I am!"  
  
"But Donavon's really cute..."  
  
"Can't be as cute as Harry."  
  
"Oh, of course not. But picture this! Big brown eyes, and curly brown hair, cut just the way you like it! Although it's a bit short, I'd say... Well, anyway... Gorgeous smile! Plus, he's an all-time jock. Perfect for you, I'd say!"  
  
"Harry's enough for me, thank you very much!"  
  
"Oh, too bad. Donavon wanted me to hook you guys up. He thought you were completely gorgeous. I've even got a picture of him, that I know you wouldn't want to see..."  
  
"Oh yeah. I don't want to see a picture... Let me see it!"  
  
"Haha! Knew it! Here you go," Cassandra replied, pulling a picture out of her wallet and handing it to Hermione.  
  
Hermione's jaw dropped. This guy was everything Cassandra promised.  
  
"How come you never went out with him?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Ooh, I see you like him... Nah, me and Donavon would never work out. We date like fifty million people. But then I met Ron. Now Ron's a little sweety and I'm definitely planning on sticking with him."  
  
"You do that... Any chance of having me over for Easter Break?"  
  
"Ooh! You DO like him! This is going to be so much fun. I don't know about Easter Break, but I'll see what I can do..." Cassandra teased.  
  
Suddenly the door flung open and there was a male figure standing at the door. He wasn't wearing any robes. Instead, it looked like a teenager that was definitely a Muggle.  
  
"Donavon! I'm so glad you came!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
Wow!  
  
~*~  
  
"I thought I'd check up on you."  
  
"Peter, you idiot. If anyone needs checking up on, it's you!"  
  
"Please don't get mad Lucius, the – the – the l – lor – lord wanted me to make sure every – everyone was doing the- their wo- work."  
  
"Stop stuttering and get me some wine!"  
  
"Yes Lucius, of course Lucius."  
  
"Snape never came back and I was so sure that he would. He's going to pay."  
  
"Oh yes. Of course, Lucius. To be sure."  
  
"Get me my wine and shut up!"  
  
~*~  
  
"I wanted to see you so I hopped on the Hogwarts Express. I took great care of running through that barrier, just like you told me to," Donavon said, grinning.  
  
"And you found Hogwarts okay?" Cassandra asked giving him a hug.  
  
"I entered the first run down place with a 'Do Not Enter' sign that I saw. Oh yeah, thanks for telling me that password. House-elf, that's a nice password," Donavon replied with a bright smile.  
  
Hermione was at shock.  
  
"Donavon! I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting my other best friend, Hermione Granger," Cassandra said with a giggle.  
  
"You are so right. I really haven't had the pleasure. At least I'm having it now. My name's Donavon. I see that you're Hermione. Oh yes, the pleasure is all mine," Donavon said, looking at Hermione intensely.  
  
"Oh, pleasure? What pleasure?" Hermione asked stupidly.  
  
"Come, come – Hermione. Don't tell me that you aren't the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Donavon said, looking deep into Hermione's eyes.  
  
"I – I won't," Hermione replied, hardly breathing.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
"Break it up you two," she said laughing.  
  
"All right, all right," Donavon said.  
  
"So, is there anything to eat around here? I didn't have any of those sickle things and I couldn't buy any food on the Hogwarts Express," Donavon said, taking off a heavy leather jacket.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Cassandra said, handing him a few pumpkin pasties.  
  
Donavon took a bite of one and said, "It's really cold here. I mean, even when I was in London it wasn't that cold. I know it should still be cold, because we are in February. If truth be told it's freezing in New York, but it's completely freezing here. I don't believe how cold it is. I'm glad I were extra layers of clothing."  
  
"Okay. I'm glad it's extra layers of clothing and not extra layers of poundage. I wouldn't want Hermione to think that you were fat, and neither would you..." Cassandra trailed off.  
  
"Oh, I don't think you're fat. Not that you're skinny. I think you're not skinny. Either. Wait. No, that's not what I meant. Oh, no," Hermione groaned.  
  
Donavon laughed and gave another grin.  
  
"I think Hermione's intimidated by your manly charm," Cassandra said, choking back laughter.  
  
"Manly? Is that's what's bugging you? Did she tell you that I'm a jock or something? Don't listen to her. I only play Football, Basketball, Track, Cross Country, and Swimming. I'm hardly a jock," Donavon said laughing.  
  
"What? No soccer?" Hermione asked with a dazed look on her face.  
  
"I'll be going now..." Hermione trailed off, practically skipping out of the room.  
  
Once Hermione left, Donavon took of his sweater and hopped on Cassandra's bed.  
  
"So, what did you think?" Cassandra asked, smacking her lips together after helping herself to Dazzleberry Lip-gloss.  
  
"She's hot!" Donavon exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, well, don't play with her feelings. She's a friend of mine. Besides, she's already dating a guy," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Well, maybe if I can make her see that I'm better than this Harry guy that you wrote about in your letters..."  
  
"No way Donavon! I'm sorry, I love you very much – as a friend of course – but I just can't let you do that to Hermione. You can be her friend. That's fine with me. I just don't want you messing with her Donavon. I know that you're a major player. Besides, Hermione would never choose a guy over Harry. She's completely in love with the guy. The only other guy she's ever really had a relationship with was a famous Bulgarian Quidditch player."  
  
"Famous, 'what' player?"  
  
"Quidditch! It's a wizard sport."  
  
"Oh, right..."  
  
"I'm serious Donavon! Don't mess with her!"  
  
"Yeah, okay, okay. I get the point. So should I leave now?"  
  
"Uh, yeah! That might be a good idea."  
  
"Are you mad at me?"  
  
"No, I'm not mad at you. You're just going to mess things up around here and I don't want that."  
  
"Okay, all right then. I'll pack my stuff up."  
  
"What's to pack?"  
  
"Good point. All right, well, let me get my jacket then."  
  
"All right."  
  
"I'll be back."  
  
"Yeah, you do that. Tell your sister that I say hi."  
  
"She hates you. Why would you be saying hi to her?"  
  
"Because I'm sweet and caring and I wouldn't want anyone to be mean to me, so I treat people with respect, even if they don't deserve it, just like Angelina."  
  
"I'll tell her that for you."  
  
"I only asked you to tell her I said hi. Tell her that I say she doesn't deserve respect and I'll personally make sure that our parents get married. Then I'll live in the wizard world for the rest of my life and won't ever have to worry about you."  
  
"Okay, okay. So I won't tell her."  
  
"You do that. Have fun!"  
  
"I assure you I won't, but what the hey. Bye Cassandra."  
  
"Adios Donavon."  
  
And Donavon slipped out of the dormitory before McGonagall or Mrs. Norris got wing of him hanging around.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione made her way back to her room after finishing her homework in the common room. She didn't notice that the common room was noticeably empty due to seventh year's night-out. That was Thursday nights for Gryffindors. It had just started that month. Hermione also didn't notice Donavon slip out of the portrait hole, as discreetly as possible.  
  
She fell onto her four poster bed and popped a piece of the last pumpkin pasty she had in her mouth.  
  
Then she saw Cassandra coming out of the bathrooms with her nails freshly painted a deep plum.  
  
"I've decided that you'll have to tell Donavon that I don't like him," Hermione told Cassandra matter-of-factly.  
  
"Too late. He's already left," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Okay, that's fine too," Hermione said with a weak laugh.  
  
"I made it clear that you weren't interested," Cassandra added with a grin.  
  
"Good," Hermione said, somewhat hanging her head.  
  
"You know, when I was in New York, living with my mom, my dad in prison, my best friend being the biggest player, and his dad dating my mom, I just felt so messed up. After talking to Donavon just now, I've only realized how much my life has changed. When I came here I was some stuck up girl, full of energy, and flirting with everyone. Now that I've been here for so long, well, let's just say that I've changed quite a bit," Cassandra admitted.  
  
"I like you just the way you are Cassandra. Please don't change. Don't change for anyone. Be yourself. If things don't work out for your family then you'll always have a place in my heart. Not to mention Ron's and Harry's. We all love you very much, and I hope you'll remember that forever," Hermione told her.  
  
"Thanks. You guys are the greatest. I never had friends like you all back in New York. Don't get me wrong, New York is a great place, but I think that I found better friends here, with you, Ron, and Harry," Cassandra replied seriously.  
  
"You'll always be welcome with me, and I'm sure Hogwarts as well. Everyone's always welcome at Hogwarts. That's what I like about it the most," Hermione said sighing.  
  
"Okay. Enough of this mushy stuff! If we go to Hogsmeade right now, we'll get to spend about an hour there, so go!" Cassandra said, flying off her bed and grabbing her silk cloak.  
  
Hermione looked at the bright calender (that she got printed out with pictures of her, Ginny, and Cassandra at Christmas in the studio) and saw Ginny smiling in her dazzling fairy suit. February was screamed in hot pink writing at the top. Hermione smiled. She put a mark through Thursday and went to her chest.  
  
Then she grabbed the cloak that Cassandra had given her for Christmas and slipped it on. She grabbed her dragon hide boots and followed Cassandra out the Portrait Hole.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey Harry! Hey Ron!" Cassandra exclaimed rushing into the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Hey Cassandra!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
Harry smiled and waved.  
  
"Hey you guys," Hermione said.  
  
Ron and Harry both said, "Hi Hermione!"  
  
"Come sit down next to us," Harry added.  
  
"Let us get some drinks first," Cassandra replied.  
  
Cassandra grabbed an Ice Tea and Hermione got hot foaming butterbeer.  
  
"You're ridiculous! How can you be having ice tea on such a cold day? Today is the perfect day to get butterbeer!" Hermione exclaimed exasperated.  
  
"Uh, because I like Ice Tea? Uh, ya think?" Cassandra asked, making Hermione sound stupid.  
  
Hermione put her hands in front of her to somewhat defend herself and said, "Forget I asked."  
  
Ron and Harry laughed.  
  
"So, how come you guys didn't show up earlier?" Ron asked.  
  
"We were busy doing stuff," Cassandra replied taking a sip of her tea and exchanging glances with Hermione discreetly.  
  
"Okay, whatever," Harry said shrugging.  
  
They spent the rest of the time talking about NEWTS and the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which Hermione had almost forgotten about.  
  
~*~  
  
When Hermione got back to Hogwarts she went into the Head Girl Baths on the fourth floor corridor. She took a lengthy shower and filled the enormous bath with electric apple scent.  
  
She put on a night robe over her pajamas and quickly walked back into the Gryffindor girl's dormitory. To Hermione's amazement, she saw a girl a bit shorter than her pointing a finger accusingly at Cassandra.  
  
Hermione arrived just in time to hear the girl say, "Where is he and what have you done with him?" 


	36. Cassandra's Shocking News

Chapter Thirty-Six: Cassandra's Shocking News  
  
"What are you talking about Shannon?" Cassandra asked sharply.  
  
She eyed the girl with every bit of hatred, not daring to hide an ounce of it.  
  
Shannon was a 5 foot, 3 inch girl with wavy and long blond hair. She had tan skin, and her features would have actually been pretty if she didn't look like daggers were coming out of her eyes. Shannon took a huge breath of air and looked angrily at Cassandra.  
  
"Donavon was NOT home yesterday. I knew you probably tricked him into coming here just so you could get the in scoop. You are so greedy!"  
  
"What 'in scoop' are you talking about Shannon?"  
  
"You mean he didn't tell you?" Shannon asked incredulously.  
  
"Tell me what?" Cassandra replied shortly.  
  
"Well, that doesn't matter. He still came here!" Shannon exclaimed.  
  
"Tell me what?" Cassandra repeated.  
  
"About my father and your mother, of course!"  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"I don't have to tell you ANYTHING!"  
  
"I can't believe Donavon didn't when he showed up. Tell me what's going on or I'll go straight home this instant!"  
  
"I don't want you there! You're always so annoying and my brother can't stay away from you! I hate you and I hope you know that!"  
  
"Don't even both with that. I know you hate me."  
  
"GOOD!"  
  
"Just tell me what's going on Shannon!"  
  
"Fine! Dad and Gabriella are getting married. There! Happy?"  
  
"What? No way! They can't be getting married!"  
  
"You heard me! Married. Those two idiots are going to go and get themselves married!"  
  
"Don't call my mama an idiot! You shouldn't call your father that either!"  
  
"Well, that's exactly what they are! I don't want to ever have to live with you!"  
  
"The feelings are mutual Shannon, believe me!"  
  
"You're so mean!"  
  
"Like you aren't? What do you mean just pouncing in here? I don't think Donavon would have told you HOW to get here!"  
  
"I read a letter."  
  
"How dare you?"  
  
"So what? He leaves them lying around anyway... with big red marks around the name Harry. So, is this the girl Donavon's so obsessed with?" Shannon asked, turning to Hermione.  
  
Hermione, who hadn't spoken a word since she was in her room was looking very surprised.  
  
"Leave Hermione out of this! I already told Donavon that Hermione was taken!"  
  
"Yeah, with some stupid guy named Harry. I told my brother that he didn't need to mix with dumb old wizard freaks anymore than he already has."  
  
"Does he know you're reading the letters?"  
  
"He leaves them lying around. When he's just in his room, I go in there and read them. He doesn't care much then. He's always half-asleep. But why should I be telling you how I get things done? You're the one that has the explaining to do. How'd you get my brother to drag his sorry butt over here?"  
  
"Lay off Shannon! I never told him to come!"  
  
"But you told him HOW to get here!"  
  
"So what if I did? I never told him to come, and that's all that matters? If you have a problem with it why don't you just get out?"  
  
"How can Donavon be friends with you? You're such a jerk!"  
  
"Not as big of a jerk as you are Shannon. You really take the cake!"  
  
"Er, can we all be happy and calm – and um, stop this arguing?" Hermione asked meekly.  
  
Cassandra and Shannon turned towards Hermione with a warning look.  
  
"Never mind," Hermione said quickly.  
  
"I think that you are being ridiculous! John and Gabriella would never get married!"  
  
"They are getting married! I thought Donavon was going to tell you that you're going to be a bridesmaid."  
  
"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to their wedding!"  
  
"I'm glad you're not going! I don't want to have to deal with you, but you're mom's going to be mad!"  
  
"Gabriella is NOT going to make me go to her dumb wedding!"  
  
"Suit yourself, but you are going to be in so much trouble."  
  
"I'm not about to listen to you, Shannon Katrina Scott!"  
  
"Fine, Cassandra Nicole Taylor! Like I care. And don't ever call me by my whole name! I hate the name Katrina!"  
  
"Tell that to your dad. I didn't christen you Katrina."  
  
"Oh, you're just so funny Cassandra, so funny."  
  
"Thanks, I think I am too."  
  
Hermione cut in again.  
  
"Er, as you may both know, it's getting extremely late... Maybe Shannon should get a mattress and just stay the night. Then you can resume this lovely conversation in the morning..."  
  
"Good idea Hermione."  
  
"Yeah, good idea – girl that my brother's obsessed with."  
  
"For some reason, that isn't appealing to me at the moment..."  
  
"Just ignore Shannon, Hermione. You're too good for her."  
  
"Well, I suppose I can... After all... I really need my rest..."  
  
"Okay girl. You can ignore me since Princess Cassandra wants it to be that way. At least you offered me to stay the night, and that I appreciate. Other than that, I think you're just a big loser that my brother's falling for. I don't even know why he's bothering about you. He can snag any girl he'd like. Why'd he have to choose you?"  
  
"Because for once in his life, he's got good taste!" Cassandra shouted angrily.  
  
Hermione shrugged her shoulders and collapsed into her bed, too tired to argue.  
  
~*~  
  
Friday... thank goodness! I'm so glad that it's Friday. Today'll be a carefree day. No hassle, last day of the week. Pretty easy schedule too... We've only got Double Potions with Slytherin in the afternoon. I can manage to live with that... Charms in the morning, followed by Astronomy. Yep, it can't get any better... Saturday's only a day away... We'll go to Hogsmeade... Spend some time with Harry... Lay under a huge Oak Tree and listen to Hedwig hoot... Not to mention Pig... Visit Dobby... I'm so thankful it's Friday... Nothing to worry about...  
  
That's what Hermione THOUGHT!  
  
Wow, was she wrong!  
  
She woke up to Cassandra and Shannon bickering.  
  
Oh, yeah... I forgot she's still here. And to think I thought it was all just some dream...  
  
Hermione slumped glumly on her mattress and then quickly got up. She let Cassandra and Shannon bicker on while she put on a black and white windbreaker. She put on her special Black Work Robe with her name engraved in gold upon the left chest. She left her hair down, attaching butterfly clips every which way of black, silver, and white. She put on white eye shadow, clear lip gloss, an some powder. She picked up her black purse. Although it was simple, this was one of her favorites. She thought it made her more sophisticated or older.  
  
I already feel tons older than I did when the year started. It's probably because of all this Voldemort business...  
  
Hermione went to the Great Hall and ate her breakfast quickly. She saw Harry and Ron coming up.  
  
She saw them looking worried and anxious. Hermione's smile turned into a frown. She let Harry and Ron sit down before she pounced on them.  
  
"Hey, where's Cassandra?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Do you mean you don't know?" Harry asked bewildered  
  
"You didn't see?" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"You guys are freaking me out! What happened?" Hermione asked shakily.  
  
"Some Shannon girl slapped Cassandra on the face and threw something at her. Cassandra's bleeding really bad. She's up in the girl's dormitory crying right now!" 


	37. Voldemort's Dirty Work

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Voldemort's Dirty Work  
  
"What??????????????? She's bleeding?????? Oh my gosh! I knew that Shannon was up to no good. I shouldn't have left Cassandra by herself! I have to go to our room right now!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
She left her black purse with Harry and Ron and ran up to Cassandra. Hermione was shocked to see Cassandra with her face buried into her pillow, crying her heart out. Shannon Scott was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Hermione rushed to her knees and knelt down beside Cassandra.  
  
"Oh my god Cassandra! What did that jerk do to you?" Hermione cried.  
  
Cassandra replied with a muffled, "I don't want to be seen ever again."  
  
"Cassandra! I'm not that shallow! Let me see if you're okay. If you've got a few scratched I'm not going to stop being your friend. Hold your horses. Let me see what's happened!"  
  
"It hurts," Cassandra replied trembling.  
  
"Of course it does. Now let me see your face."  
  
Slowly, and very embarassed, Cassandra lifted her head and there was a bright red mark on one cheek. On the other, there were thick gashes and her entire cheek was bleeding.  
  
"Oh my god Cassandra! What has she done to you?"  
  
Cassandra sat on her bed, still as an angel, silently, not uttering a word. She was so depressed.  
  
"Tell me what she did Cassandra. Tell me what she did."  
  
"It's too sad. I can't tell you – any – anything. Too sad. Too horrible."  
  
"Please tell me Cassandra. I need to know what happened."  
  
Cassandra straightened up.  
  
"That wasn't Shannon Scott. Whoever it was took the Polyjuice Potion. I could tell because their features started to change into a yucky looking girl. She had cropped b – black h – hair and black eyes. I don't know who it was Hermione! I don't know why she tried to hurt me, but she did. She hurt me bad. She took a dagger from inside of her cloak and gashed my face. She slapped me on my face. Then she took a hot iron and pressed it on to my arm. It burns. She said it was a message for Hermione to read. You should read it. I think you should read it," Cassandra said shakily.  
  
Hermione rolled up Cassandra's sleeve and saw more gashes on her delicate skin. Then she saw the burn Cassandra was talking about. Hermione squinted her eyes to see it. It said:  
  
I'm not afraid to hurt you. I'm not afraid to hurt your friends. If you think that your little team is going to beat me then you are a stupid fool. Give up while you still can, because either way you're going to die – you little Mudblood. Lord Voldemort  
  
"What does it say? I can't read it," Cassandra mumbled.  
  
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," Hermione murmured.  
  
"Is it bad?" Cassandra asked hesitantly.  
  
"It's horrible. Voldemort won't let us rest. He's horrible. Whoever did this is horrible!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
~*~  
  
"I'm never taking that nasty stuff again!"  
  
"Just shut up."  
  
"Listen to me Lucius Malfoy! I'm doing this for you, and our son. It's not like I'm doing it for me. Almost every ounce of strength I have left is gone. You know I'm going to die soon!"  
  
"Go to the Institute why don't you? Don't tell me a little Polyjuice Potion is going to make you die. That's ridiculous."  
  
"I'm sick of this! Can't you see I'm tired of doing all the dirty work? You get to run around with the Ministry and give information to Voldemort but I'm the one who's always stuck with the dirty work! First I had to go over seas to Muggle land. Then I had to be a spy and collect information. I wouldn't have even been able to collect any of this if Draco wouldn't have been friends with that lousy Cassandra girl. So I suppose his half-wittedness can account for something could..."  
  
"Your point being?"  
  
"Get off of it Lucius! You never do the dirty work and I'm always stuck with it. Well, guess what? I'm sick of it! If you or Draco don't start putting a little bit more effort into the business then I'm out of here!"  
  
"Where are you going to go? Don't tell me you're going to try going back to your family. They wouldn't go near you."  
  
"I know they won't. You know why too. It's because I'm dealing with you and the dark lord."  
  
"Come, come. You don't want to go back to them. They're stupid people that won't come to the dark side. You know we're going to kill them – anyhow..."  
  
"Don't you dare Lucius! Don't you dare lay a finger on my family! I don't care if they don't run with our kind, but they're still my family!"  
  
"Just listen to you! Our lord killed his father because his father was a traitor to our kind. You should kill yours as well!"  
  
"How dare you!"  
  
"How dare I what?"  
  
"Just leave me alone Lucius. I'm not in the mood to talk to an inconsiderate wizard such as yourself!"  
  
"Then get out of my house!!!"  
  
~*~  
  
"I just can't believe it," Hermione told Harry later in the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"Yeah. To think that they would actually sink so low that they'd be hurting the people closest –"  
  
"Harry don't even! I see that look in your eyes. It's not the Prophecy. It's Voldemort. Just be thankful that Cassandra isn't dead. Or Ron, for that matter..."  
  
"I'm thankful you aren't dead."  
  
Those words hit Hermione like ice. Suddenly she was completely nervous and shaking all over.  
  
- I'm thankful you aren't dead –  
  
Hermione's pulse was going fast. She ran a hand through her hair quickly.  
  
"I think I'd kill myself – if I lost you," Harry whispered softly, stroking Hermione's cheek.  
  
They were sitting on a big sofa to a corner of the common room. No one was next to them. They were getting some much needed privacy. Much needed, indeed.  
  
Hermione curled up in Harry's arms and let Harry play with her hair.  
  
"Am I really worth all that?"  
  
"Most definitely."  
  
"I'm glad you think that."  
  
"Why wouldn't I, Hermione?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know..."  
  
"Know what else I think?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think I'd like to kiss you now."  
  
"I think I'd like you to kiss me."  
  
"Good."  
  
~*~  
  
"I feel so bad," Cassandra whispered shakily.  
  
"Don't feel bad. Why should you feel bad?" Ron asked putting a shawl over Cassandra.  
  
"Well, if I wasn't so stupid, I wouldn't have wrote Donavon letters about getting into Hogwarts and stuff. Now some weird lady's got it in for me, and you should have seen the look on Hermione's face when she read the message on my arm."  
  
"You told me she put a charm on it and made it dissapear. Did you ever get a chance to read it?"  
  
"No. Not like I could have read it anyway. It was under my arm and my arm was burning so much that I didn't even bother."  
  
"I wonder what it was."  
  
"Well, it was something personal. The lady told me it was for Hermione Granger. And Hermione Granger it was that read it. Not any of my business, nope, not gonna read it."  
  
"Cassandra, are you feeling okay?"  
  
"Perfectly fine darlin', perfectly fine. What makes you say that sugar plum?"  
  
"Okay, are you sure you're okay?"  
  
Suddenly Cassandra fainted.  
  
~*~  
  
"Help!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Help!" he cried again.  
  
Hermione rushed over instantly.  
  
"What happened?" she shrieked seeing Cassandra flat on the ground with scars all over her face from events from the morning.  
  
"She just fainted," Ron replied trembling.  
  
Hermione whipped out her wand and waved it around Cassandra's face, chanting something, until Cassandra slowly woke up.  
  
"I think it's loss of blood," Hermione said to Ron and Harry.  
  
Hermione quickly turned to Cassandra.  
  
"Go to Madam Pomfrey's office. Ron will take you there. Tell her that you were in an accident. She doesn't ask too many questions, which is good. Just tell her that you're loosing blood and see if she's got any remedies that will fix you right up."  
  
"Okay Hermione. Thanks."  
  
"No problem Cassandra. Watch your step."  
  
And Hermione's eyes followed Cassandra and Ron out the portrait hole, and further, until she could no longer see them.  



	38. The Counter Curse

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Counter Curse  
  
Saturday came quickly. The sun was shining, and all the third years and up were excited about traveling to Hogsmeade. Especially Hermione.  
  
She wanted more than anything to have some time to just be herself and have a lot of fun. Unfortunately, for the last few days, none of that had been going on.  
  
Saturday morning, the sun was shining bright and everyone looked serene. Hermione woke to the sound of Pig hooting at her neck. She got up and gave the owl a little kiss on the cheek before standing and stretching.  
  
Then Hermione walked to her window. She opened the curtains. Hermione entered her bathroom and took a quick shower.  
  
She walked to her chest and pulled out a long skirt made of silky light purple material. Then she took out a white full sleeved shirt. When she finished dressing, Hermione made sure to put on a heavy cloak, in order to stay safe from the wicked weather.  
  
Hermione finished lacing her dragon hide boots and walked out of her dormitory and landed right in the middle of much noise and laughter in the common room.  
  
"It's so early! How can all of you be up?" Hermione exclaimed laughing, as she made her way through a few third years.  
  
Ginny saw her at once and gave a bright smile.  
  
"Well, if we're at all lucky, we'll be staying at Hogsmeade all day, and that just makes me way happy! I'll get to spend tons of time with Seamus Finnigan, my dream," Ginny told Hermione, sighing.  
  
"Well, I hope your dream comes true Ginny," Hermione replied with a smile.  
  
"Wish me luck!" Ginny exclaimed as Hermione floated away.  
  
"Hermione, oh dear," Neville said unpleasantly.  
  
"What's bothering you now Neville?" Hermione asked with a worried look.  
  
"Marcus, my brother. He's a first year," Neville began.  
  
"Yes, I know that. Do continue," Hermione said.  
  
"Well, he's having a bit of trouble with his Astronomy. I was trying to explain it to him, but I think I just messed it up even more."  
  
"Well, don't worry about it Neville. I'll be happy to tutor Marcus whenever I'm available. Mind you, I'm already tutoring you this evening – er, if we get back from Hogsmeade in time. If we don't, then I'll tutor you first thing tomorrow morning. Just make sure to schedule a time that works for both Marcus and me. See you later," Hermione called, walking towards Parvati and Lavender, out of her own will.  
  
"Well, well, well," Parvati said snottily.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked with a slightly annoyed look on her face.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Like you didn't know," Parvati replied shortly.  
  
"You know Parvati. For someone so beautiful, you're really rotten on the inside. Good thing I listened to that expression, 'Never Judge a Book by its Cover'. Otherwise I'd be head over heels trying to please you. But I'm not as stupid as that. Not like – some – people," Hermione said, motioning to Lavender who blushed brightly.  
  
"Actually, I hang out with Parvati because she's my friend. I have some friends. Why don't you try to get some instead of following Harry around like a sick puppy," Lavender retorted.  
  
"I don't even want to talk about that. Are you guys too blind to see that he doesn't want YOU guys following him around like sick puppies? Maybe, just maybe, you'll realize that the reason he actually pays attention to me is because I DON'T follow him around like a sick puppy. But maybe my suspicions are correct. Maybe you're too blind – and too stupid – to see that he doesn't crave girls hanging on his every word. I guess we'll never know," Hermione replied carelessly.  
  
Why did I even try to be friends with them? I don't get myself sometimes. Oh well...  
  
"Hermione! Hermione Granger! This way please!" McGonagall called as she walked into the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"What is it Professor?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I have something for you. It's nothing really. Just a little thank you gift for those lovely pictures you gave me. It's a little bit late... but I guess I thought I'd like to give it to you anyway," Professor McGonagall said with a weary smile.  
  
"It's lovely Professor," Hermione squealed, pulling a leather bound diary, with her name engraved in it, out of a bag filled with colorful tissue and a tricky little charm, making the bag shine and shimmer.  
  
"Well, with all that's been going on, I dare say you need a place to keep all your thoughts. I thought I'd give you the perfect Muggle device, a diary. I also thought about giving you a Pensive. Dumbledore disagreed. He said that if you'd really like one, you can find them in Hogsmeade. They cost a bit, I'm sure, but I think that it isn't too much. If you'd like one, then you can get it. Permission is granted from me. Don't let the other students know. I'm only letting you have one because – well, because I guess you are my favorite student."  
  
'Thanks so much Professor! Even a Muggle device means a lot coming from you. Thanks again. I've got to run. I see Ron and Harry."  
  
"I see you haven't given up on Harry..."  
  
"Not all the Prophecies in the WORLD could change my mind about me liking Harry. No prophecy will stand between us!"  
  
Minerva McGonagall watched Hermione scurry away, and to herself she thought – Voldemort's power is strong enough a Prophecy to create a curse between you and Harry forever – and to all your loved ones. Be careful Hermione. May the power of magic be with you – forever...  
  
~*~  
  
"Super! New flavors of Every Flavor Beans! I can't wait to try them," Cassandra exclaimed with rosy cheeks, and so much powder and blush that parts of her scars were covered up.  
  
"I'm glad you're feeling better," Hermione replied giggling.  
  
"So am I! I'm ever so glad that Madam Pomfrey let me come to Hogsmeade with you guys. I don't think I would have been able to stand it if she made me stay in the Hospital and everyone else came to Hogsmeade and had a barrel of fun. That would just be too much, even for silly little Cassandra Nicole Taylor," Cassandra said to all three of them.  
  
Ron had already paid for a package of his sweets and was now nibbling on the newest brand (he didn't dare try buying the assorted package). It was called Vanilla Craze.  
  
"This is so good!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"Let me have one," Cassandra urged.  
  
Ron took one out of the can and plopped it into Cassandra's mouth.  
  
Cassandra closed her eyes dreamily and said, "Mm..."  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, and Harry laughed.  
  
~*~  
  
When Hermione got back to her dormitory, she slipped on flannel pajamas with clouds all over them on a sky background. She split her hair down the middle and made two braids, tying light blue ribbons to each braid. She grabbed a pair of socks and her nighttime slippers. Finally she slipped on a robe and got settled at her desk with her new diary.  
  
It was almost midnight, but Hermione could hear laughter outside. She dipped her quill in ink and began to write.  
  
Diary Entry # 1  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Hello, My name is Hermione Granger. Isn't that too formal for a diary? Well, I think I'll skip the introduction and just talk to you. Professor McGonagall gave you to me this morning, and now its night. I'm going to write quite a bit, so beware me, diary.  
  
I had a blast with Harry, Ron, and Cassandra today. I'm glad that Cassandra's feeling better. Ron and Cassandra have certainly hit it off. I'm glad that Cassandra's made better friends here, instead of the ones she had back in New York. Like Donavon for example. I'm glad I didn't have to talk to him much. He had no business asking me out, when he didn't even know me very well.  
  
I've known Harry for years now, and he was shy about asking me. That's true character. Not to say that you shouldn't ask someone out if you think it's true love...  
  
Professor McGonagall is working on the counter-curse for Harry. I hope she gets it soon. The sooner, the better, as the old saying goes.  
  
Cassandra hasn't come back in yet so I think that I will go out to the common room for a while and see what everyone is up to. It's really noisy in there. Well, goodbye for now.  
  
Sincerely, Hermione Granger  
  
"Well, that's done with," Hermione said to herself.  
  
She put the diary in a drawer next to her bed and clutched the robe around her as she walked outside.  
  
"Hermione! What have you been doing in there all by yourself? The party's just started!" Cassandra exclaimed gleefully.  
  
"I was preoccupied," Hermione told her.  
  
All seventy Gryffindor students were in the common room in their pajamas. Cassandra's were hot pink and made of a silky material that attracted everyone's attention, considering her robe was bright orange.  
  
"You love making a sensation, don't you Cassi?" Hermione asked laughing.  
  
"It's what I do best!" Cassandra exclaimed with a wink.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Have a chocolate frog Hermione," Harry said.  
  
"Thanks Harry," Hermione replied.  
  
She took a chocolate frog from Harry and opened it up to see Merlin's wise face winking across the card. Then Merlin suddenly disappeared.  
  
"Well, that was friendly," Hermione said with a giggle.  
  
"I'll have it if you don't want it. I collect them," Ron said.  
  
Hermione passed the card to Ron and shook her head.  
  
"What's wrong with liking Chocolate Frog cards?"  
  
"Nothing Ron. Absolutely nothing..."  
  
~*~  
  
Sunday morning came with delightful news.  
  
Professor McGonagall rushed Dobby to Hermione's dorm with a message telling Hermione to come directly to her office.  
  
Hermione was curious. She didn't know if she should be grateful or worried. It had been a long time (or so it seemed) since there was any talk of the counter-curse and Hermione supposed that this could be the big break everyone was waiting for. She thought that finally, Professor McGonagall and her committee of charm breakers would have found the counter-curse so that Harry and Hermione could be on their way to battle Voldemort.  
  
Hermione grabbed her slippers and robe that were lying on the ground at the foot of her bed. She pulled them on and crept out of the Portrait Hole to Professor McGonagall's office.  
  
"What is it? Have you found it?" Hermione squealed once she saw McGonagall's face.  
  
McGonagall's eyes were shining, something that rarely happened.  
  
"Oh, tell me it's true!" Hermione exclaimed nervously.  
  
"It is! We've found it!" McGonagall replied.  
  
Hermione swung her arms around McGonagall's neck and gave her a hug. McGonagall was a bit overwhelmed with Hermione's sudden burst of emotions and returned the hug reluctantly.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, pushing a strand of hair out of her eager face.  
  
"He's coming. We sent Dobby for him after he got you," McGonagall replied quickly.  
  
"Good, good," Hermione murmured.  
  
"So, what is it?" she asked.  
  
"I'm waiting for Harry to come before I explain that much," McGonagall told Hermione, unable to hide a grin.  
  
"Not fair!" Hermione squealed.  
  
"Well Hermione, for once I can honestly say, 'I know something you don't know'!" McGonagall teased.  
  
"Teacher's are supposed to be role models and encouraging. Right now you are doing neither," Hermione scolded.  
  
McGonagall feigned horror.  
  
"Oh no!" she exclaimed in mock terror.  
  
"I'll be replacing you any day now. Just kidding," Hermione added seeing McGonagall's mock terror turn into real terror with the blink of an eye.  
  
"I should hope so," McGonagall retorted.  
  
"There's Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Harry rushed into Professor McGonagall's office looking confused.  
  
"Dobby called me. Er, am I supposed to be here?" he asked, half asleep.  
  
"Get over here Harry Potter! This is good news!" Hermione insisted.  
  
Harry saw Hermione and walked over to where she was, leaning on her shoulder from behind her as McGonagall began to speak in a clear, loud voice.  
  
"After days and days AND days of working, I believe that we have finally found the counter curse that will give Harry enough power over Voldemort, so that Harry has the increased chance of beating him," McGonagall began.  
  
"Been there, done that. Get to the point Professor!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Don't rush me Hermione. Maybe I won't tell you at all..." McGonagall joked.  
  
"How can you be goofing off at a time like this?" Hermione asked unbelievably.  
  
"Okay, fine. I'll get serious," McGonagall replied, a bit ashamed of her behavior.  
  
She walked to her desk, and pulled open a drawer.  
  
She picked up the bracelet – and laid it on her desk.  
  
It laid there, cold and solid, for Hermione and Harry to peer into, who were both afraid and unsure of the coming facts.  
  
They would have to just sit there and wait. Wait, until McGonagall explained everything to them  



	39. Tom Riddle's Effect

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Tom Riddle's Effect  
  
Hermione was anxious and trembling from head to toe. She was dying of curiousity.  
  
"I can't stand the suspense any longer! Just spill it!" Hermione insisted.  
  
"All right, all right, already," McGonagall replied.  
  
"Well?" Hermione asked breathlessly.  
  
"We found the Counter-Curse! It's one that Voldemort made up himself, so we aren't sure of the correct name, but for now we've decided to call it – Metamorphianigmi Avramark," McGonagall replied.  
  
"Long name," Harry commented with a low whistle.  
  
"But perfect for the Curse. You see, Voldemort made the bracelet have such powerful magic, that if Lily ever felt that she wanted to turn to Dark Magic, then she would have the power of becoming an anigmus. Her anigmus form was obviously – the snake. But there's more. This bracelet made sure that Lily instantly had a stronger force to her power, and would be able to conjure the perfect dark mark!"  
  
"I can't believe my mom was being trained to do that," Harry muttered.  
  
Hermione squeezed his hand tightly.   
  
"It's okay Harry. She had no intention," she whispered.  
  
McGonagall continued.  
  
"Lily and James Potter lived in Godric's Hollow. That was where you lived when you were only a baby, Harry. Any clue who founded that area? Godric's Hollow? Godric Gryffindor. Make sense now? James was a direct heir of Gryffindor and he lived in Godric's Hollow for a long time. Lily was known to be a Muggle her whole life and disowned by her sister. Even to her parents she was different. Of course her parents loved her, but still... So Lily went to Godric's Hollow and lived with James Potter. We aren't sure if Lily had any connection with her family afterwards. But that's not the point. We're talking about the bracelet and your father, Harry. James. We still aren't sure if the bracelet had any effect to James because he was a true blood Gryffindor and he never showed signs of weakness or extra strength. Remember Harry, Lily Potter had no idea what was going on so you can't think badly of her," McGonagall told Harry strongly.  
  
"I don't think badly of her. I never will. She was my mother," Harry replied forcefully.  
  
"Many of the charms protecting the bracelet from intruders were things that only Death Eaters or former Death Eaters would know so we asked Severus Snape for help in that category. Hold you tongue please. I don't want to hear bad things about him now. He helped you, and that should be good enough," McGonagall said.  
  
"We won't say anything bad. We just want to stop Voldemort," Hermione replied with more sureness in her voice than she felt.  
  
"I'm with you there," Harry mumbled.  
  
"I'll continue. Once we found the Metamorphianigmi Avramark, we broke it down piece by piece to find the ingredients needed to concot the perfect counter-curse. We have called this counter-curse the Harry Potter Effect. It's synonomus to the Metanigmi Avramark, the scientific name. We have made it a potion that you need only to take once a month. We have the recipe under my files, so if we should ever need to make anymore, we shall. Right now I have made you enough to last you a year, at least. Take only two dropletts and wash it down with pumpkin juice. Then you'll be okay," McGonagall ordered.  
  
"Where is it?" Harry asked.  
  
"Right in my closet. Let me get it," McGonagall said.  
  
She opened a door in the back of her office and it opened up to her chamber. There was a lavish center room with bright candles and splendors. She walked to another room and disappeared from Hermione and Harry's sight. McGonagall quickly returned with a bottle in a circle of string in her hand.  
  
"Here you go. Wear it around your neck all the way to your dormitory. Then keep it in a safe place. You should take some now. Get used to the power. You'll feel the urge, possibly to do even more dark magic. It is almost alike to the curse it's self, because we needed to know what made Voldemort so strong. We took those, and simply put more purity into it, rather than evil. Our nick name for the curse is the Tom Riddle Effect. As you will see the scientific name of the Tom Riddle Effect is Metamorphianigmi Avramark. The Harry Potter Effect is Metanigmi Avramark. You can see that the counter-curse is shorter. Only because they are so similar, did we choose to do this. You already have a lot of power in you Harry, so even if you don't have as much evil power, since we took some out, you should still be able to conquer Voldemort. My faith is with you," McGonagall finished.  
  
She handed Harry the bottle.  
  
Harry took the bottle. There was a cork securing all fumes and liquids inside. Harry opened it up and put a drop or two in his mouth.  
  
Then McGonagall handed hip a cauldron and poured some Pumpkin Juice into it. He swallowed and suddenly a very dizzy feeling came to him.  
  
"Is it working Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.  
  
"I can't really tell..." Harry trailed off.  
  
Suddenly he felt ice through his whole body.   
  
He felt cold and mean, and he wanted to kill.   
  
Then he had another feeling.   
  
This one gave him ultimate strength, but only the desire to do good.  
  
"You'll have some mood swings Harry. Just beware. Sometimes you'll have more dark power in you than you may realize. But others, you will be so pure, that you'll do your homework before Hermione does," McGonagall said, laughing at her own joke.  
  
"Okay, thank you," Harry replied.  
  
"Yes! Thank you so much Professor McGonagall. I know we can conquer Voldemort now. I can just feel it," Hermione told McGonagall excitedly.  
  
"I hope so," McGonagall replied with a weak smile.  
  
Hermione followed Harry out of the office and they climbed in through the Portrait Hole, whispered goodbye, and went back into their dorms, where Harry fell straight asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione crept into her dorm. Everyone was still asleep. Even Cassandra.  
  
Hermione grabbed the diary McGonagall gave her and pulled a quill out again. She went to the common room with her quill, ink bottle, and diary. She sat next to the fire for light and began writing.  
  
Diary Entry #2:  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
It's Hermione again. I've got great news! McGonagall has found the counter-curse and Harry has taken it. McGonagall explained a whole lot to us and I'm excited and nervous at the same time. McGonagall said that Harry might have mood swings. I wonder what she means by this. I hope Harry doesn't ever turn into a hungry dark art machine. That would just be too much for me to bear.  
  
I've got a major Astronomy test tomorrow. I think I'll do fine. I've studied a lot for it. There are to be 100 questions and one essay on why Planet X isn't considered to be in our galaxy. I think I'll do fabulous!  
  
I think it's pretty nice of Snape to be helping us out, but I can't help but be suspicious, but maybe it's because he has a motive. Maybe he's sucking up to McGonagall because he likes her. I did she them in Hogsmeade together that one night... Ya think?  
  
I sure do miss Hagrid. Professor Grubbly-Plank is stiff and has none of Hagrid's warmth. I think the class is very informative, but I don't think that Professor Grubbly-Plank is very fun. I wish that Hagrid was back again. Even though we might have to deal with those Blast-Ended Skrewts...  
  
Hasn't this entry been self-centered? I think so. Oh well... At least classes are tomorrow. Then I'll have plenty to say. Right now all I want to do is have Cassandra wake up. Oh, did I mention what time it is? It's early Sunday morning. McGonagall called us over just about an hour ago. I'm falling asleep right now, but I can't imagine why. I guess I was too nervous last night to fall asleep. I've been nervous ever since McGonagall has mentioned that Counter-Curse. Now that we've got it, Harry's going to get his strength, and I'm going to help him win against Voldemort! See you later diary!  
  
Love 'n stuff, Hermione Granger  
  
~*~  
  
"With all the power you have, there's no way he can stop you now."  
  
"He's stopped me so many times before, you fool! Even when I was at the height of my power. I'm nowhere near as strong as I used to be. Feed me. Milk Nagini. The more you do, the more strength I will have. Then, maybe we will triumph, Lucius."  
  
"Quite right. Quite right. But Potter doesn't know any of your secret curses. He doesn't know any of your secrets. You've got so many dark charms up your sleeve that there is no way Potter can beat you. Especially when you've got all the Death Eaters by your side."  
  
"Potter is the only known who has lived the Avra Kedavra. That is the way I kill. And that is how it will be to the end. I'm not going to let myself fall down to magical creatures or any of that sort. I'm going to use my death curse. He can't get away this time. I've got his mother's blood in me now. If only I could have married Lily. Then Potter would have been my son. He wouldn't be Potter. He would be Riddle. I would have taught him from the start what was right and what was wrong. How filthy mud bloods shouldn't ever be allowed. Then he would learn. He would learn as a baby. He has so much power in him, that he would make an excellent dark sorcerer. He would carry on in my footsteps when I would die away. Besides that, Lily would be my wife, and my queen. Not James Potter's!"  
  
"Patience my lord. We shall have victory soon enough. Drink this. It will soothe you. Yes my lord. We are only moments away from victory..."  
  
"That is true. Potter doesn't know where we will attack."  
  
"Yes my lord. He shall be surprised. Now drink please, drink! You need your strength. To conquer the fool of them all – Harry Potter!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Well, that was perfectly delicious. Thank you Dobby," Hermione said.  
  
She was in the kitchen with Cassandra, Harry, and Ron and they were sampling cinnamon rolls that the house elves had just made.  
  
It was Saturday afternoon, and Dobby was doing the best he could to please the four seventh years. He was extremely delighted to see that they enjoyed the food.  
  
"Tis nothing. Tis the life of a house-elf miss. Dobby is happy to please you, miss," Dobby replied in his squeaky and high-pitched voice.  
  
Cassandra laughed.  
  
"You're so cute Dobby," she crooned.  
  
"Watch out Ron. You've got some competition," Harry said snickering.  
  
Ron turned flaming red.  
  
"Yeah, well, at least my competition isn't Gilderoy Lockhart!" Ron retorted blushing.  
  
Suddenly Hermione was as red as a beet.  
  
"I don't like him!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Don't raise your voices guys! We're going to get kicked out of here," Cassandra warned.  
  
"Okay, we might as well leave. I'm stuffed," Harry agreed.  
  
"Bye Dobby!" they all called out.  
  
Dobby waved to them until they were out of the kitchen.  



	40. Hermione's Astronomy Test

Chapter Forty: Hermione's Astronomy Test  
  
"Let's review it again, shall we? You only have one more chance, Mr. Finnigan, so I suggest that you take out your parchment so you can look it over. The test starts in five minutes, and you are wasting our precious time!" Professor Sinastra exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry," Seamus mumbled.  
  
"Now, where was I? Oh yes. There is no possible way for Planet 'X' to be part of our galaxy on account of many reasons, but the one I will be looking for in your essay is that Planet 'X' revolves around an entirely different sun. If that is not in your essay then I will deduct fifty points. I'm not joking ladies and gentleman. We're coming towards the end of your wizarding education and things are going to get harder. Classes are going to get harder. Your NEWTS examinations are coming up, and that isn't going to be easy, I will assure you! There will be two grades to this test. One will be for your essay and the other will be for your multiple choice, 100 questions. Take out a few sheets of paper for your essay, you'll need it! You may begin – now!" Professor Sinastra told the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor first years sitting before her.  
  
Hermione turned the cover page to the test and started speed reading and working rapidly. She finished the eight questions on the first page in record time and flipped to the second page before Cho even got started on the fourth problem.  
  
Before they knew it, Hermione had started the third page of the test, on problem 23. Cassandra chewed on her quill as she tried to remember what the Galelian Moons were. Ron was stuck on the Law of Gravity, and Harry was just about finished with his second page.  
  
Somehow, all of them made it through the extremely hard multiple choice portion. Hermione was the first to get started on her essay. From the corner of her eye she saw many different things. Neville had his hands on his head and looked terribly confused. Cho was trying to catch Harry's eye and make flirtacious glances. Cassandra was blowing Ron kisses, and Dean and Seamus were trying to think up different tricks they could play on Professor Snape.  
  
How can they be spending so much time lollygagging? I bet they haven't even started the essay! Hermione thought as she started writing her second paragraph.  
  
Oh, well. It's none of my business if they pass or fail. But Cassandra is going to get in big trouble if the Study Sessions I gave her don't show an improvement... I'll get her after class, if we get our grades back by then...  
  
~ So, with all the given information, we can positively conclude that Planet 'X' is in an entirely different galaxy and not in our own... ~  
  
Hermione printed a title at the top and her name in the top right corner. She straightened the heavy test and her essay, then bringing them to a chair with a soft velvety cushion. She placed her test on that, faced down, before returning to her seat.  
  
Finally, when everyone had turned in their papers, they were all allowed some free time, so that Professor Sinastra could finish grading the papers. Hermione straightened her canary yellow blouse before going over to Harry and talking to him about the test.  
  
Ron and Cassandra were already there. Hermione sat on the flat surface of Harry's desk and her feet swung down, swinging back and forth as she started talking.  
  
"That was so hard! It took me forever!" Cassandra groaned.  
  
"It wouldn't have taken so long, if you wouldn't have been blowing kisses to Ron," Hermione scolded.  
  
Ron blushed, and Harry grinned.  
  
"Well, that was only because I was stuck on number 57," Cassandra defended.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"57 was so easy! How many rings does Saturn have? Honestly, you don't know that? You've got to be kidding me!" Hermione retorted, honestly shocked.  
  
Cassandra shrugged her shoulders and offered a friendly smile.  
  
"It happens sometimes. You know, you go brain dead. Know the feeling?" Cassandra asked.  
  
Hermione looked as she had never ever known that feeling.  
  
Cassandra shrugged her shoulders again and spun around in her chair so she could talk to Ron.  
  
"How do you think you did?" Hermione asked, slowly playing with Harry's collar on his shirt.  
  
"I guess I did okay... But that number 57..." Harry trailed off.  
  
"Only kidding!" he added when he saw Hermione's eyes narrowing.  
  
"I should hope so, Mr. Potter! I mean, come on! That whole test was easy!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Easy for you to say. You're a study girl. By the way, want to be my study buddy?"  
  
"I only have been for the past seven years. Besides, I'm everyone else's study buddy right now too. I don't know if I'll have time..."  
  
"We could do it at night if you want... Just me and you in the common room, with the fire going... Hopefully Pigwidgeon WON'T be hooting in my ear..."  
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
"I don't think that even Pig would ruin such a special moment," she replied.  
  
"You never know with Pig," Harry told her.  
  
Hermione smiled shyly, but her light as a feather feeling was soon to be gone.  
  
Cho Chang just came up to Harry's seat.  
  
"Hello Harry! How are you today?" she said in a mushy voice, annoying Hermione very much.  
  
"As good as I can be, considering I just took an Astronomy Test."  
  
"Oh, I know exactly how you feel! Astronomy can be so boring! The only good thing about it, is you being in this class too," Cho replied, flirting to her extreme.  
  
Hermione's eyes narrowed so far, she almost got cross-eyed. She folded her arms and snapped her foot impatiently. Cho practically shoved Hermione off Harry's desk and made her self comfortable there.  
  
"Excuse me. I was sitting there," Hermione said pointedly.  
  
"I don't see your name there," Cho retorted with a nasty look on her face.  
  
"Oh fine!" Hermione muttered.  
  
She walked over to Professor Sinastra's desk, trying to find her grade. Harry loved her, not Cho, she kept telling herself. Harry wasn't about to flirt back, so Hermione had nothing to worry about.  
  
"Professor Sinastra? I was wondering if you could possibly tell me if I made full marks..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
Professor Sinastra had long, wavy dark brown, almost raven hair. She had strong, clear hazel eyes, and a good figure. She was very pretty.  
  
Professor Sinastra looked up at Hermione from her desk and smiled a beautiful smile with her shiny perfect teeth twinkling, and her eyes (mascara giving the extra effect) batting quickly.  
  
"What do you think you made Hermione?" she asked pleasantly.  
  
"Well, I don't know. That's why I was asking you..." Hermione trailed off again.  
  
"Don't be so modest Miss Granger. That's another full marks for you. I especially like how you stressed on Jupiter's finer points, as I had mention earlier this week, so I added a few bonus points. Your final grade is 220 out of 200. But it's two grades, so more like two 110's. Both ways, you did miraculously. I don't know how many people have survived that test with over full marks. You're one of a kind Miss Granger. I'll miss having you as a student," Professor Sinastra said.  
  
"Thank you so much Professor! That's a huge compliment!" Hermione replied, overwhelmed.  
  
She had a bit more spring in her step as she walked back to Harry.  
  
"Guess who made 110 on her test?" she teased.  
  
"My Hermione?" Harry replied, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at Hermione from his desk.  
  
The way he said 'my Hermione' just put a tingle up Hermione's spine. She shivered and smiled.  
  
"That's correct," she told him happily.  
  
Cho suddenly decided that she had to go talk to Lydia, Shiree, Parvati, and Lavender, so she walked away quickly, leaving Hermione and Harry looked peaceful and happy.  
  
Professor Sinastra posted a record of everyone's grades, right before class ended. Cassandra, Ron, and Harry raced to the front to see what they made.  
  
"90! I can't believe it! That's awesome!" Cassandra exclaimed, jumping into the air.  
  
"85, I can live with that..." Ron mumbled.  
  
"95, not as good as Hermione, but I'm happy!" Harry said.  
  
They followed Hermione out the door and they walked along the sunny but cold trail outside Hogwarts and to Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
~*~  
  
After Professor Grubbly-Plank talked about Hanky-Pinks (worms with horns), they all went to Lunch in the Great Hall.  
  
The ceiling of the Great Hall (which was always painted the color of the sky) looked especially icy today, and didn't show the sun, that was really outside. Hermione shivered, simply stepping into the Great Hall. Somehow it seemed that Hogwarts was slowly becoming less pleasant, and cold, and Slytherin-Like.  
  
Don't be so silly, Hermione told herself.  
  
"So, I guess those Study-Sessions paid off Cassandra, right?" Hermione asked in the middle of eating her salad.  
  
"Totally! I'm so happy that I got a 90. That is just way too cool!" Cassandra exclaimed as she stirred her ice tea.  
  
"On a cold day like this, you're drinking Ice Tea – AGAIN! Why don't you have some hot cocoa, it warms you right up," Hermione suggested.  
  
"My kidney pie is warming me up just fine. I'm just worried about you and that cold salad," Cassandra replied.  
  
"Cat fight," Ron teased.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed annoyed.  
  
Ron pretended to shrink back in fear. "Oh no," he called sarcastically.  
  
"I'm going to hurt you, boy," Hermione threatened.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Ron asked.  
  
"Yeah," Hermione teased.  
  
And suddenly everything seemed happy and perfect at Hogwarts. 


	41. Hermione and the Weird Sisters

Chapter Forty-One: Hermione and The Weird Sisters  
  
"Did you hear?" Cassandra asked bursting into the seventh year girl's dorm where Hermione was finishing up her Transfiguration essay.  
  
It was a blissful Wednesday afternoon in the first week of March, and Hermione was trying to get her last few paragraphs into the essay before she handed it in.  
  
She looked up, a bit cross, and waited for Cassandra to continue.  
  
"Well, did you hear?" Cassandra asked again.  
  
"About what?" Hermione asked crossly.  
  
"About the dance!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, no I guess I didn't," Hermione replied.  
  
"Well, don't worry! I'll fill you in," Cassandra insisted.  
  
"Go on," Hermione said.  
  
"Okay, well, the dance will be Friday night and the Weird Sisters will be playing!"  
  
"Joy to the world."  
  
"Aren't you happy?"  
  
"I'd be happier if I had this essay finished. I don't know why I let you guys talk me into going to visit Dobby when I had all this work to do," Hermione replied grumpily.  
  
"Don't be sad Hermione!"  
  
"Yeah, whatever. I'm hardly sad."  
  
"Well, let's do something fun! It'll cheer you right up!"  
  
"Right now? You've got to be crazy just to suggest that."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I've got an essay to finish! Out! Out! I'll come find you when I finish this essay."  
  
Cassandra scurried out the door and Hermione was left in peace to finish her essay.  
  
~*~  
  
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."  
  
"Albus! You can't be serious!"  
  
"Minerva, please. I'm not even sure if this is true."  
  
"Well, in the meantime, let's get Hermione to spy on Professor Vector."  
  
"I won't allow it! He'll become suspicious and then Voldemort will know that we know what he's up to."  
  
"You're sacrificing everything just so Voldemort doesn't find out about us!"  
  
"Think Minerva. It's not like I'm simply doing this for fun."  
  
"Well, I know that. I suppose you always have your reasons..."  
  
"You're right, I do."  
  
"So, this meeting is over?"  
  
"Perfectly over."  
  
~*~  
  
"Okay, I'm done," Hermione said, flopping down in a huge couch in the Gryffindor common room, right next to Harry, Ron, and Cassandra.  
  
"Good, then I can tell you the rest of my little story," Cassandra said excitedly.  
  
She cleared her throat and started talking.  
  
"The Weird Sisters are performing at the dance, and the best couple gets to go up on stage and dance with them, and they also get 100 Galleons each of prize money! Isn't that awesome? The second and third best couples get to go up too, but they get 75 Galleons each for second, and 50 Galleons for third place. It sounds like so much. I've got my groove set and ready to rock and roll!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"I thought the Weird Sisters played Pop Music," Ron teased.  
  
Ron chuckled at his own joke.  
  
"Oh, you're 'real' funny Ron," Hermione said sarcastically.  
  
"I know," Ron replied.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
"You are so modest, Weasley," she said.  
  
"I know," Ron replied.  
  
They all burst into laughter.  
  
~*~  
  
Friday night, Hermione was getting dressed for the dance. She decided on a shiny light pink dress that had no straps, and platform pink sandals. She swung a robe around her slender body and painted her nails frosty pink. She put her hair up into a bun and let a few strands be loose and curly down by her forehead. She used a long light pink ribbon to tie around the bun, and finished with a touch of pink lip-gloss.  
  
"Are you finished yet?" she cried to Cassandra impatiently.  
  
"Slow down Hermione. I know you're eager to see lover boy, but I want to look my best for Weasley, so you'll excuse me if I take a few minutes more than you did," Cassandra replied in her usual peppy spirits.  
  
"Okay, whatever. I give up. I'm going to go wait in the common room. You better hurry up, or Harry, Ron, and I'll leave without you, so there!" Hermione exclaimed triumphantly before marching out the door.  
  
Cassandra sighed and picked out the perfect set of pearls to go along with her baby-blue dress and robe. She fiddled with her hair for a while, and then decided to leave the long black curls loose, rippling down her back. Then she grabbed her purse and ran out into the common room (however she managed to run with her high-heels...) where Hermione was waiting for her.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Cassandra teased.  
  
"He's helping Ron finish getting dressed. I guess Ron wants to look good for you too," Hermione replied with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, okay, whatever. So, what are you going to do with 100 Galleons prize money?" Cassandra asked, changing the subject.  
  
"What are you talking about Cassi? You're going to be the one to win the 100 Galleons. I can't dance worth a flip," Hermione replied honestly.  
  
"Maybe I can dance, but the students are going to be voting, and I know they're going to pick you and Harry! Ya'll are like the perfect couple," Cassandra said sighing.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," Hermione replied.  
  
"Don't you 'yeah whatever' me," Cassandra ordered.  
  
"Ooh, so scared," Hermione said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, you should be," Cassandra replied, when they both suddenly burst into laughter.  
  
"He's finally ready," a voice said from behind them.  
  
Hermione jumped up, recognizing Harry's warm and friendly voice instantly.  
  
Harry was standing next to Ron. They were both wearing tux's with dress robes on top. Harry's was Olive Green and Ron's was a deep Burgundy.  
  
"So, are we ready or what?" Cassandra asked, jumping up.  
  
"We're ready," Harry replied with a friendly smile.  
  
"Super! You look totally hot today Ron, by the way..." Cassandra trailed off.  
  
Ron's cheeks were suddenly flaming red.  
  
"So do you," he replied nervously.  
  
Cassandra swung her arm around Ron's neck.  
  
"Let's go!" she exclaimed.  
  
Cassandra dragged Ron out the common room, and Harry and Hermione were standing by themselves.  
  
Well, it seemed as though they were by themselves. All the other children scurrying around meant nothing to Harry or Hermione. All the hustle, bustle, and noise meant nothing to them. They thought it was completely silent, with just them on the top of the world.  
  
"Should we go?" Harry asked nervously, taking out his hand.  
  
Hermione linked arms with him.  
  
"We should go," she replied.  
  
They took forever to get to the Great Hall, and once they did, they were astonished to see dozens upon dozens of candles lit. There were dazzling carpets that they only brought out for special occasions. The chandeliers were all lit, and the House tables were all beautifully set with forks, knives, spoons, goblets, shiny plates, and so much more.  
  
The Weird Sisters were already set up and had begun to play their hit song, 'Weird About You'.  
  
"This is so awesome! I thought bands only came and played at special events. Well, the bad thing about this is that we won't be able to hear any other songs, BUT Weird Sister songs," Ron said thoughtfully.  
  
"Actually," Cassandra began with her usual all-knowing (when it came to gossip, that is...) self, "the Weird Sisters are only staying till eleven tonight. We've got three hours with them, but then Dean Thomas is going to be like the DJ and play some really neat tunes that everyone likes. Good thing too, I don't think I could have a great time with out Celine Dione's 'That's the way it is'."  
  
"You always change your favorite singer!" Hermione pointed out.  
  
"Not favorite singer. I've got tons of favorite songs, but I don't have a favorite singer. I don't think I like any singers, actually. Well, I like a few. But then again, Britney Spears has some good songs, but she's a total phony, and who would go for someone like that," Cassandra said wisely.  
  
Ron was almost drooling, and Harry was very near to.  
  
"I can't believe you asked. Even though every guy knows she's a phony, every guy likes her," Hermione said sharply.  
  
"Only kidding Hermione. I only like one person, and you know who that is," Harry said.  
  
"Yeah Cassandra. I only like you," Ron said.  
  
"That's better," Hermione and Cassandra said at the same time, again giggling at themselves.  
  
"Ya'll are a bunch of clowns," Harry and Ron said, shaking their heads and doubling up on laughter.  
  
"Yeah, aren't we though?" Cassandra admitted, choking on her giggles.  
  
Finally they all stopped laughing.  
  
"Would you like to dance?" Harry asked Hermione.  
  
"Sure," Hermione replied.  
  
They went to the center of the main floor, along with almost everyone else and started dancing. Finally there were only five couples left. They were Harry and Hermione, Ron and Cassandra, Dean and Cho, Draco and Pansy, and finally Seamus and Ginny.  
  
One of the Weird Sisters called out, "Girl in the red dress and her man, out!"  
  
She was referring to Cho.  
  
Cho slumped angrily, and walked off the platform.  
  
Now it was down to only four couples!  
  
"Okay, guy in the black robe. We don't need to be dancing like that! You're outta here!" another Weird Sister called.  
  
She was talking to Draco, and Draco didn't like it one bit. He stomped off the center floor in rage, dragging Pansy along with him.  
  
It was down to Harry and Hermione, Ron and Cassandra, and Seamus and Ginny! That meant that either one of those couples could be getting 100 Galleons in prize money, and ALL of them would get to go up on stage with the Weird Sisters!  
  
"Congratulations to our third place winners! Gineye Weaslee and Seemus Finnigan!" one of the Weird Sisters said.  
  
She was reading their names off a slip of paper and couldn't quite make out the names.  
  
Everyone started applauding for Ginny and Seamus. Ginny and Seamus walked up the stairs to the stage where the Weird Sisters were and stood there.  
  
After the applause died down, the same Weird Sister spoke again.  
  
"Good job to our runner-ups and second place winners. Before I announce them, I would like to tell you that Gineye Weaslee and Seemus Finnigan will each get 50 Galleons of prize money! Now, second place gets 75 Galleons each, and the second place winners are Cassanndruh Nicoal Tayler and Ron Weaslee!"  
  
There was an even louder applause as Cassandra and Ron walked up the stairs and joined Ginny and Seamus.  
  
"Our first place winners are Hermyownee Granger and Harry Potter!" the Weird Sister shouted, bringing down a thunder of wild applause.  
  
Hermione was all tingly inside and ran up the stairs with Harry. Finally, when everyone went back to their dancing, Hermione, Harry, Cassandra, Ron, Ginny, and Seamus each got the Weird Sisters to autograph pictures of them for them.  
  
At eleven, the Weird Sisters packed up, and the Hogwarts Students gave a loud applause. Then, Dean became DJ and started playing all different types of music, from the Weird Sisters to the Eye of Newt to the Backstreet Boys.  
  
Hermione, Harry, Cassandra, Ron, Ginny, and Seamus all sat down for a rest, and they were all talking excitedly about the Weird Sisters.  
  
"It's not like I got autographs from Eye of Newt but it'll pass," Ron said.  
  
Hermione took a sip of Butterbeer.  
  
"You're lucky you even got an autograph, so don't complain!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, okay, maybe," Ron replied, fake sighing.  
  
They all started laughing again.  
  
It was definitely a good end to a day. 


	42. Hermione the Bridesmaid

Chapter Forty-Two: Hermione the Bridesmaid  
  
It was a beautiful Monday morning. It was the first time in days, that the sun made a bit of an effect to the warmth of Hogwarts grounds. Hermione decided to wear something a little lighter than what she had normally been wearing.  
  
She took a quick shower, and slipped on a three-quarter-sleeve baby blue top with a matching printed skirt. She put on her soft blue robe and about a dozen blue butterfly clips in her hair. She quickly grabbed her diary to make a short entry in it before she left for class.  
  
Diary Entry # 3  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Hey. It's Hermione again. I know I haven't written all weekend, but a lot of things have been going on.   
  
First of all, we had a dance Friday night and it was a ton of fun. Harry and me won first prize, 100 Galleons each, and we got to get the Weird Sister's autographs, which was pretty cool.   
  
Then, on Saturday, we all hung out at Hogsmeade.   
  
Sunday was spent finishing up all my homework and reading an excellent book called, 'Why Walter Woodsburrow was Wooden'. It was the story of another idiot who pronounced a charm incorrectly. Figures... But still, they are pretty funny, so I liked reading it.   
  
I think I'm going to borrow, 'The Secret of Durmstrang' from Viktor. He's getting married this week in Hogwarts! He figured it was best that him and Fleur got married in Hogwarts because Fleur wasn't allowed to go to Durmstrang, and Viktor wasn't allowed to go to Beauxbatons (he told me so in a letter).  
  
So, he's coming up on Saturday. I can't wait! Maybe if I borrow that book from him, I'll be able to visit Durmstrang one day, and that would be a ton of fun, now wouldn't it? Well, that's about it. I'll write more later.  
  
Love 'n stuff, Hermione Granger  
  
~*~  
  
"And I think we'll stop there," Lupin said.  
  
Everyone got up out of their seats and sighed breaths of relief.  
  
They were studying Torture Curses in Defense against Dark Arts class and Lupin was ordered by Dumbledore to give them a bit of Torture each. By the end of class, everyone was aching all over.  
  
"Can we do something a bit easier next time?" Ron groaned.  
  
"I don't know, maybe. I'll see what's in the Lesson Plan," Lupin replied.  
  
Lupin was in an unusually good mood today.  
  
Hermione wondered what was up.  
  
She shrugged her shoulders, picked up her purse, and headed for dinner at the Great Hall.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hermione! Come quick! I have something to tell you!" McGonagall exclaimed quietly.  
  
Hermione left her food and bags, and followed Professor McGonagall out the Great Hall.  
  
"What's got you so happy?" she asked arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, today Remus – proposed to me!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
Hermione's puzzled face broke into a smile.  
  
"Really? Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! This is incredible! What did you say?" Hermione asked.  
  
"What do you think I said?" McGonagall replied.  
  
"Well, it's just that, never mind," Hermione quickly said.  
  
"There's one more thing," McGonagall said.  
  
"Which is?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I want you to be my bridesmaid!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
"Really?" Hermione asked amazed.  
  
"Of course! You're perfect for the part. Sirius will be Remus' man of honor. Poor Sirius. I hope that he will get married one day," McGonagall said sighing.  
  
"I'm sure he will," Hermione replied knowingly.  
  
"Well, we've got a lot to do to get ready!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
"When is the wedding to be?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Not this week, since it's Viktor's and Fluer's, but the next week," McGonagall replied breathlessly.  
  
"In two weeks?" Hermione asked, shocked.  
  
"I know it seems as if we're rushing things, but I mean, we've known each other for so long, that it seems as though we should have done this years ago, and we want it to happen as soon as possible!" McGonagall exclaimed with a thrill in her voice.  
  
"Well, once again, I am SO happy for you!" Hermione replied grinning.  
  
"I knew you would be. That's why I told you," McGonagall said.  
  
"Well, I've got to finish up my dinner," Hermione told McGonagall.  
  
"Oh yes, of course," McGonagall replied.  
  
Hermione flashed another smile and walked out the door.  
  
~*~  
  
"What did McGonagall want you for?" Harry asked.  
  
"I'll give you guys three guesses," Hermione said secretively.  
  
"Three guesses each?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"Nope, just three guesses. So, you guys each have one guess," Hermione replied.  
  
"Okay. I'll go first," Cassandra pronounced. "Is McGonagall going to give you fifty bonus points for writing your thirty-three page essay, when it was only supposed to be TWO pages?"  
  
"No. Guess again," Hermione replied with her eyes shining, just looking like she had a secret.  
  
"Me next," Ron told them all. "Is McGonagall going to give us the rest of the semester off and work the Slytherins like hogs?"  
  
"Sadly... no," Hermione replied.  
  
"Your turn Harry," she added.  
  
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Harry replied.  
  
Harry thought for a few more seconds and then he said, "Did McGonagall say that from now on, every time we have her class, it will be spent in Hogsmeade?"  
  
"That was stupid," Ron said.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Harry admitted laughing.  
  
"Well, of COURSE that was incorrect. I'll tell you guys since you didn't guess it. McGonagall is getting married!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"What? To who?" Cassandra cried.  
  
"Remus Lupin!" Hermione exclaimed again.  
  
"Wow!" Harry said amazed.  
  
"I can't believe it!" Ron admitted.  
  
"I know! It's going to be absolutely awesome. This weekend is Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum's wedding. Next week it's McGonagall's and Lupin's! This is so exciting. I just can't wait!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Calm yourself sugar," Cassandra replied, unable to hold back giggles.  
  
"And I forgot to mention another thing. I'm going to be the Bridesmaid!" Hermione shouted excitedly.  
  
"That is too cool," Cassandra admitted.  
  
"I know," Hermione agreed.  
  
She looked down at her now soggy croutons, and decided that the new events that had just taken place were to exciting – compared to eating smelly lettuce leafs.  
  
~*~  
  
That night, the four of them stayed out late in the common room doing plenty of things.  
  
After dinner, it was about eight or so at night. Hermione had a thirty-minute tutoring session with Neville Longbottom in History of Magic. It was followed up with another thirty minute tutoring session with his brother, Marcus Longbottom, in Astronomy.  
  
Then Hermione, Cassandra, Ron, and Harry played Exploding Snap till about 9:30. They talked for another half an hour. At exactly ten o' clock, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan rushed in with tons of sweets and candies. They had snuck into Hogsmeade during dinner.  
  
"Awesome!" Ron cried as he head for the Cockroach Clusters.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm with Ron. Food makes a great party!" Cassandra exclaimed, munching on a Pumpkin Pasty.  
  
"You guys..." Hermione started with a 'I don't think we should do this on a school night' look on her face. "I don't think we should do this on a school night. I mean, we've got classes tomorrow. We've got to clean up the mess we're going to have otherwise McGonagall might get mad. I think I'm doing the reasonable thing, seeing as I AM Head girl..."  
  
Ginny, who was a Prefect said, "Lighten up Hermione! It's a party!" before having Seamus kiss her forehead lightly.  
  
"Ginny Weasley, I expected better from you!" Hermione scolded.  
  
Ginny ran up to Hermione and gave her a quick hug.  
  
"I know, but you've got to loosen up sometime, right? Can't spend the whole of your life being an uptight follow the rules kind of person. I mean, look where it got Percy!" she exclaimed, as if that was explanation enough.  
  
"Good points," Hermione admitted. She looked at all the other Gryffindor students, who definitely wanted a party and said, "Why not?"  
  
Everyone cheered loudly.  
  
"Let me at that Butterbeer!" Dean exclaimed.  
  
He brought a keg of Butterbeer into the Gryffindor common room, and a load of goblets. Everyone was filling his or her goblets up with the warm, foamy, and sweet taste of Butterbeer.  
  
"McGonagall's going to hate me for the rest of my life," Hermione groaned.  
  
"Join the fun. You don't want to feel left out," Harry suggested.  
  
"Look at me! I'm not fit for partying! Tomorrow we have Potions! I can't party now! I mean I'll wake up late, and I'll get to Potions late, and then Snape will hate me, and then the next time I have Potions he'll probably make fun of me, and the time after that we'll have a test, and he'll take off points for me being tardy three weeks earlier, and you know how nasty Snape can get," Hermione said.  
  
She said all this very quickly.  
  
"You plan too far ahead. Just take one day at a time," Harry replied laughing.  
  
"Like that's possible?" Hermione asked bewildered.  
  
"Sure," Harry said.  
  
"Well, okay... I guess. What have I got to loose anyway?" Hermione mumbled.  
  
"That's the spirit," Harry replied.  
  
Hermione got off her chair and headed for the keg full of Butterbeer, ready to party all night (well, not exactly ready...) 


	43. The Rumors About Seamus

Chapter Forty-Three: The Rumors About Seamus  
  
"Ginny, please?" Seamus begged.  
  
"No! Leave me alone!" Ginny exclaimed rudely.  
  
"But Ginny. It's all a big misunderstanding. You've got to hear me out!" Seamus cried.  
  
"Get out of my way Seamus Finnigan, and please, get out of my life. I never want to see you again!" Ginny shouted back.  
  
That was the highlight of the Tuesday morning breakfast in the Great Hall. Ginny stomped her feet a few times and then ran to Hermione and sat down in the middle of her and Cassandra.  
  
"What's wrong Ginny?" Hermione cried exasperated.  
  
"Only everything!" Ginny replied bitterly.  
  
"Want to talk to someone about it?" Cassandra offered.  
  
"Yeah. Yes I do. I'll talk to you guys. I can talk to you guys about anything," Ginny replied.  
  
"Well, then talk. You've got ten minutes left of breakfast. But please, start from the beginning," Hermione recommended.  
  
"All right," Ginny said wiping tears from her face. "I guess I shouldn't have expected it to last long, but I really thought something of the guy... Anyway... It all started this morning when I entered the Great Hall and I heard that Shiree girl from Ravenclaw talking to Cho Chang. Shiree said that Seamus was an excellent kisser, and she thought it was the sweetest thing for Seamus to tell her that he loved her last night. I mean, Shiree's really pretty and all, but I thought Seamus loved me! And there he goes kissing other girls. Would you believe it? Well, believe it. It's the sad and sorry truth and I hate every single bit of it! All the way! Completely! I hate it! Absolutely, positively hate it!" Ginny cried, bursting into tears again.  
  
"Don't cry Ginny. That was cruel and heartless of Seamus, and you shouldn't worry about him," Cassandra said.  
  
"Or Shiree. You're prettier than Shiree any day, and you shouldn't get bent out of shape on account of her," Hermione insisted.  
  
"Well, thanks you guys. You've made me feel a lot better," Ginny said trembling.  
  
"Good. Now, get some water and wash your face so you can look presentable when you go to class," Hermione ordered as Ginny scurried out of the room with her robes lagging behind her.  
  
~*~  
  
"I don't get it guys! I don't know why Ginny would think that I kissed Shiree, but I swear that I have never ever held Shiree's hand and I love Ginny and only Ginny!" Seamus protested.  
  
"I wonder who would spread a dirty rumor like that," Ron replied angrily.  
  
"It's not fair! They shouldn't be so mean to Ginny OR you, Seamus," Harry agreed.  
  
"Well, when someone says something about me, I just try to think of something to say back – b – but by that time it's too late," Neville said thoughtfully.  
  
"I don't think that's going to work for me," Seamus replied glumly.  
  
"Well, Cho's my girlfriend. I'll ask her if she knows anything about it. She probably will. Cho knows everything," Dean said, marching off to find Cho.  
  
"In the meantime Seamus, cheer up. Eat your breakfast," Ron suggested.  
  
"Yeah, because if you don't, Ron'll eat it for you," Harry added with a grin.  
  
Seamus gave a small smile.  
  
"Yeah, okay."  
  
~*~  
  
"What an excellent trick! Ginny won't ever speak to Seamus again, and I've got him all to myself!" Shiree exclaimed excitedly. "You are a true genius Cho!"  
  
"I know, I know," Cho replied giving a little bow. "Now you've got to help me with Harry."  
  
"Of course! Anything you want. Your wish is my command," Shiree said.  
  
"Good. Make sure it stays that way," Cho retorted.  
  
"Of course, one hundred percent of the time. The best deserves the best, as I always like to say," Shiree offered.  
  
"Oh, stop sucking up," Cho snapped.  
  
"Okay, okay."  
  
~*~  
  
"Hermione and Cassandra are right. There isn't any point for me to go around feeling sorry for myself. Shiree and Seamus can be happy together. It isn't any of my business and I hardly care so HA! Poop on them. No wait, that was awfully childish. What I'm trying to say is that I don't care. They can be as mean as they'd like. I'll be my own individual and be happy with that," Ginny muttered to herself triumphantly.  
  
She slid into her seat in Herbology next to Collin Creevy and decided to make conversation with the weird kid.  
  
"So, what's up Collin?" she asked brightly.  
  
Collin, who never normally got spoken to by the bright and popular Ginny Weasley, was a bit shocked.  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yeah, you. I don't know any other Collin that goes to this school," Ginny replied flirtatiously.  
  
"Well, you know... I was just wondering..." Collin trailed off with color rising up to his cheeks.  
  
"Now how about me and you work together today. Is that okay with you Collin?" Ginny asked.  
  
"That's perfect..." Collin replied sighing.  
  
"Well, good!" Ginny exclaimed taking him by the hand to the Bobical Hut Plants.  
  
~*~  
  
"She completely ignored me all through lunch. Now Hermione and Cassandra aren't even talking to me," Seamus grumbled to Ron, Harry, Dean, and Neville right after lunch as they were walking through the second floor corridor.  
  
"I didn't get to talk to Cho about Shiree. As soon as I got on the subject Lydia called her and she had to leave," Dean grumbled.  
  
"Well it doesn't matter! Stop being such a prat and move on with your life!" Harry shouted.  
  
He suddenly put his hand over his mouth. Seamus, Ron, Dean, and Neville looked at him, half afraid and half quizzical.  
  
"I'm sorry you guys. I have no idea what just happened. I want to get to the bottom of this more than anything. I don't want to see Ginny hurting – or you Seamus," he said quickly.  
  
"Okay," Seamus mumbled looking at Harry akwardly.  
  
Oh my God! What did I just do? It must be from the Potion that McGonagall gave me. I guess it took a while for those side-effects to kick in. Great. What am I going to do now? Harry thought to himself.  
  
"I'll talk to Hermione and see what Ginny told her, if she'll talk to me that is," Harry offered.  
  
"Okay. Thanks you guys – for sticking with me I mean. I have no idea what's going on, but whatever it is – it isn't the truth. I just want to stop these false rumors and get on with our lives. Plus I really like Ginny and I don't want her mad at me," Seamus mumbled.  
  
"Well, we'll stick with you for as long as you need us to," Ron said.  
  
"Yeah, although I doubt I'm much help," Neville told Seamus scratching his head.  
  
"That's the sprit. Always help out a friend," Dean said merrily.  
  
"Good. We're agreed then, right? Get to the bottom of this and stop the bad rumors!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
They all shook hands and walked out the door.  
  
~*~  
  
Diary Entry # 4:  
  
Dear Diary, I feel so bad for Ginny. She's always been hanging out with the seventh years and she's super popular amongst all the sixth years, so I think that she'll be back to her normal self in no time, but still... That was a horrible thing for Seamus to do. I wouldn't have expected it from him. He always seems so nice... I guess this could be a good thing for Collin. Now Ginny might talk to him a lot. Who knows? All I know is the Ginny is a sweet little girl and almost a little sister. She's absolutely adorable, and I love her to bits and pieces!  
  
Yours truly, Hermione Granger  
  
P.S. I know this entry was super short. I'm just in a shocked mood right now. Maybe if I talk to Cassandra I'll feel better. Maybe.  
  
Hermione snapped her diary shut and decided that she was in fact going to talk to Cassandra. She could always talk to Cassandra when she had a problem. Cassandra would cheer her right up.  
  
"I just don't get it," she told Cassandra in the common room Tuesday evening. "Seamus was one of the last people I'd expect to break a girl's heart. How could he do this to Ginny?"  
  
"Those Ravenclaw girls are all super smart. They've always got tricks up their sleeves. Cho's always the brains behind everything. I think that Shiree and Cho planned this whole thing out so that Ginny would overhear them and think it was true. I'm with you. Seamus wouldn't do something like this," Cassandra agreed.  
  
"I hope that's the case. I think I should go talk to Harry and ask his what Seamus said. It's probably good to hear both sides of the story. That way we won't be jumping to any conclusions," Hermione replied getting up.  
  
"Don't you mean 'all' sides of the story. There are three stories we could be hearing. Ginny's, Seamus', and Shiree's. I bet they've all got different ones. We've just got to put this together and then Cho and her little friend's will be humiliated all over again!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"That's the spirit," Hermione said flashing a bright smile as she walked out the Portrait Hole.  
  
~*~  
  
"What are you doing in the library?" Hermione asked.  
  
She finally found Harry. What was he doing? He was pouring over books, God only knew why.  
  
"I thought I was going to find you here. I really need to talk to you. I thought I'd just wait because you'd eventually show up and then I decided to do some reading before the Third Task arrives."  
  
"Me? In a library? Ever since Cassandra showed up, that's been something I don't do as much as I used to, or ought to for that matter," Hermione said with pursed lips.  
  
"Then why did you come?" Harry asked.  
  
"Because I was looking for you. What do you mean Third Task? Is it soon?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Soon enough. It's going to be in May. I overheard Draco talking about it. He said his father told him that it was going to be a type of maze or something. Kinda like last year. Only on a variation. I'm trying to refresh my memory and study as much as I can before the Task so that I beat Malfoy," Harry replied.  
  
"Well, good luck," Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah, thanks. What did you want to talk to me about?" Harry asked.  
  
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Hermione questioned back.  
  
"Ginny."  
  
"Seamus."  
  
They both giggled.  
  
"Well, what did Ginny tell you?"  
  
"What did Seamus say?"  
  
"Well, Ginny said that she heard Shiree telling Cho that last night Seamus told Shiree that he loved her. He also that she was an excellent kisser, yuck! I would be mad at Seamus too if I was Ginny. I can't believe Seamus would do something like that though. I don't want to believe it, anyway."  
  
"Well, I don't believe it! Seamus would never do a thing like that. He's been my pal for so long and he really doesn't seem like the type. Plus, he was completely broken up and kept saying that he loved Ginny."  
  
"That's real cute, but somebody must have done something, otherwise Shiree wouldn't have said anything."  
  
"Of course she would. Shiree is Cho's best friend, or one of the many... Anyway, they're always up to something and I bet that they planned this out all on their own just so Ginny and Seamus would have a fight and break up."  
  
"That's perfect Harry! Exactly what I was thinking. But how are we going to prove it?"  
  
"I'm not sure... We'll have to think of something..."  
  
"Okay Harry. I'll see you in a few. I'm going to go tell Seamus about our plan. You keep hitting those books."  
  
"Right."  
  
~*~  
  
"You are completely a genius. I can't get over how awesome your plan worked Cho," Shiree squealed. "I mean, if you wouldn't have thought up talking loudly behind the door so that Ginny could hear us – oh, that's just incredible! If you wouldn't have thought of lying just so that Ginny would 'think' that Seamus didn't like her – you're amazing Cho! Simply amazing!"  
  
"Yeah. You've only told me two million times. What did I tell you? I'm smart. Everything I do or say works. Now all you have to do is tell Harry that I'm beautiful, smart, daring, athletic, all of the above, and we're on our way to ultimate happiness. How about it?" Cho replied snottily.  
  
"How about not!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
She whirled herself around the corner. She had been spying on Cho and Shiree.  
  
"Well, well, well," Cassandra said.  
  
She jumped out from behind Hermione.  
  
"Well, well, well, what?" Cho asked looking up at her with a fierce brow.  
  
"I guess we found out about your little secret now, didn't we?" Hermione questioned sharply.  
  
"What little secret?" Shiree replied nastily.  
  
"Don't be stupid. You know exactly what we're talking about," Cassandra told them triumphantly.  
  
"So, what if we do?" Shiree asked nervously.  
  
"What if we were to tell everyone about your little 'plan' as you call it?" Hermione threatened.  
  
"If you did, no one would believe you. They'd probably think that you and your little dinky sixth year friend were just jealous of Shiree. Which is probably the case. I mean, come on Hermione. Your Love Potions didn't work in your fourth year and they aren't working now! No one isn't going to believe anything you say. They'll think you made it all up. You too, Cassandra. And if you guys are stupid enough to tattle on us, remember one thing; you have no proof! No one else was here, and Seamus surely wasn't!" Cho exclaimed smirking.  
  
"He surely was," a manly voice said, stepping out from behind Hermione.  
  
It was Seamus. Right behind him were Harry, Ron, and Dean. Behind them was Neville trying to look as macho and cool as the others, but failing miserably.  
  
Cho and Shiree looked up, shocked out of their minds.  
  
"Seamus!" Shiree cried.  
  
"You wanted me? You got me. Now you lost me," Seamus said.  
  
"We found out about your little plan," Ron said.  
  
"We didn't want to believe it at first," Harry admitted.  
  
"It was Cassandra's idea," Dean confided.  
  
"But Hermione thought it too," Neville managed to say.  
  
"So, we went along with their idea," Seamus finished.  
  
Cho and Shiree were completely stunned. They didn't know what to say and looked at each other, quite embarrassed. Finally they looked at the ground and walked away. 


	44. Being Lord Voldemort

Chapter Forty-Four: Being Lord Voldemort  
  
"Was that awesome or what?" Cassandra cried, popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "I mean, did you see the look on Cho's face when Seamus popped out from behind us? And Shiree. Oh, Shiree! That was just hilarious!"  
  
"Calm down Cassandra. Party's over. We're in bed now. Thank heaven for that. I'm so tired! Tomorrow's Wednesday, and I've got to get my beauty sleep," Hermione scolded.  
  
"Okay, fine. Good night Hermione," Cassandra said.  
  
"'Night Cassi," Hermione replied softly.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione was in a dark maze. There were tall brick walls of maroon and black, and the only light source was the moon shining out of nowhere.  
  
Where in the world was she? Hermione ran through the tight walkways and reached a dead end. She turned around quickly, and was suddenly face to face with – Voldemort?!  
  
"Ahh! Get away from me!" Hermione yelped.  
  
Voldemort's long lanky fingers surrounded Hermione's thin neck. They curled around it. Suddenly Hermione was hardly being able to breathe.  
  
"Stay away! Get off of me!" she cried.  
  
Then she woke up. She saw Harry's hand around her neck! Harry had a wild look in his eyes. He looked crazed and scary.  
  
"Get off of me!" Hermione cried again.  
  
Harry did nothing.  
  
Hermione tried to stay away from his reach, and finally pushed Harry down. Suddenly Harry lost the evil glare and had his pure innocent green eyes looking deeply into Hermione's brown ones.  
  
"My God, Harry! What the Muggle were you thinking?" Hermione shrieked.  
  
"Where am I?" Harry asked puzzled. "You're in the girl's dorms. A few minutes ago you were choking me. What's up?"  
  
"I don't know Hermione! I don't know!" Harry replied shakily.  
  
He put a hand to his forehead and felt heat. Then he touched his chest and felt his heart beating rapidly.  
  
"I don't know what's happening. This morning I jumped on Seamus. Now I think that the Potion is starting to have an effect on me," Harry said choking on his words.  
  
"No Harry! It can't be. The Tom Riddle Effect. It's having an effect on you. Great Wizards! This is so scary!" Hermione cried.  
  
Harry put his arms around Hermione as she began crying softly.  
  
"It's okay Hermione. We're in this together. The thing that scares me the most is that I was strangling you. It was like Voldemort was inside of me! I honestly didn't mean it Hermione. You've got to believe me," Harry begged.  
  
"I believe you. Forever and always," Hermione replied looking solemnly into his eyes.  
  
She placed her hand on his chest and softly whispered a prayer so that God would watch over her and Harry throughout their journey.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ahh! Herbology lesson first thing. What am I doing with my Charms notes?" Cassandra yelped.  
  
"Don't ask me," Hermione replied.  
  
She was sitting in fold-up chair with her bags all ready. She was waiting for Cassandra.  
  
"Okay. Stay!" Cassandra commanded to a heavy book.  
  
"With your luck it's going to float up and hit you on the head," Hermione replied matter-of-factly.  
  
"You're not helping Miss Granger..." Cassandra trailed off.  
  
"Okay, fine. Want some help? Why didn't you ask?" Hermione asked.  
  
She grabbed Cassandra's Herbology books and notes and threw them into her bag. Then she stuck Cassandra's make-up bag into her purse.  
  
"There you go," Hermione said.  
  
"How could I ever live without you? Thanks Hermione. I owe you one," Cassandra replied giving Hermione a hug.  
  
"It was pretty easy. I don't get what's so hard about it... But as long as you're happy," Hermione decided.  
  
"Well, let's go!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
They rushed past the students in the common room and walked down to the Great Hall. After a quick breakfast, Hermione and Cassandra caught up with Harry and Ron as they all walked to Herbology.  
  
The sunny sky was filled with laughter and joy and brought spring to everyone's step. They sprinted down to the greenhouses. There they saw Professor Sprouts with her feet on the rim of a huge pot and her hands pulling the roots of the gigantic plant inside of it. At the foot of the pot was Justin Flinch-Fletchley pulling at the otherside so that Professor Sprouts could have some assistance.  
  
Finally Professor Sprouts pulled the stubborn roots out and fell on the ground with a plop. She bounced back further and the whole class erupted with laughter.  
  
"Quiet down class," she insisted brushing a strand of her fly-away hair behind her face.  
  
"Shh!" Hermione hissed.  
  
Finally everyone stopped laughing and Professor Sprouts glared menacingly toward the class.  
  
"If you thought that was funny, then you're in luck. ALL of you get to take these Culpepper Roots out of their pots and shift them to the ground. They're getting much too large for those pots," she said absentmindedly.  
  
So for the next two hours, they got dirty, smelly, and sweaty.  
  
After class was over, they rushed to their dorms for quick showers.  
  
Hermione poured cold water over her body and sunk into the sweet scent of Juniper Breeze. She inhaled a fume. Then she exhaled and suddenly felt much cleaner. All the final specks of dirt had swept off her skin and she stepped out of the shower.  
  
Then she slipped on a full sleeved baby blue shirt and a pair of flares. After blow drying her hair, she put them in two braids and tied each one artfully with blue ribbons. She put on some shimmering eye shadow and powder. Then she closed her makeup bag and got all her Charms books and notes ready for her next class. She slipped everything into her bag and headed to the Great Hall for some lunch.  
  
"I remember when we used to go visit Hagrid for lunch. Of course we wouldn't exactly eat anything – but still," Hermione said pleasantly to Harry and Ron at lunch (Cassandra was painting her nails.).  
  
It took her all her guts to keep from crying as she remembered the half-giant who they all cared for so much.  
  
"We had some good times," Ron admitted.  
  
"I miss him a lot. He was – l – like a father," Harry stammered.  
  
It was true. Throughout good and bad, better or worse, Hagrid was always there for Harry.  
  
"I let him down," Harry muttered harshly to himself.  
  
Hermione's eyes widened and she instantly began correcting Harry.  
  
"You didn't let him down! Not at all! Don't ever think that Harry!" she exclaimed.  
  
"It's true. No reason to hide the truth," Harry said mentally scolding himself.  
  
Hermione shook her head furiously and said, "Harry, stop it! You're going to make me cry!"  
  
"Harry, it wasn't your fault, okay? Something's just happen. I don't know where you got the idea that it was your fault," Ron said.  
  
Hermione and Harry exchanged glances. Ron still didn't know about the Prophecy.  
  
And it was better that way, Hermione told herself.  
  
Harry stopped arguing and Hermione was thrilled. She mentally thanked Ron for using his ignorance at the most perfect of moments.  
  
"I'm here! Did you miss me?" Cassandra asked as she burst through the Great Hall main entrance.  
  
Thank you Cassandra for letting us COMPLETELY change the subject, Hermione thought to herself.  
  
"Of course we missed you! Come on! Sit down and grab some food. We've only got a few more minutes left," Hermione insisted.  
  
Cassandra grabbed a bag of chips and opened them up while blowing on her fingers.  
  
"I should have let them dry for at LEAST fifteen more minutes. I don't know what I was thinking," she muttered.  
  
"It doesn't matter what you were thinking. Just eat! If you would have waited fifteen more minutes you'd be late to Charms," Hermione reminded her.  
  
"Oh, right. I forgot. Well, I'm almost done," Cassandra said when she was down the her last few chips.  
  
She popped a final one in her mouth and took the crumpled up chip bag and threw it in the trash.  
  
"Now, come on," Hermione said tugging at Cassandra's robe sleeve. "Let's go!"  



	45. Made For each Other

Chapter Forty-Five: Made For Each Other  
  
It was Saturday! The big day! The day Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour were to get married.  
  
Hermione woke up instantly and put on a white full sleeved gown made of silk. It had embroidered flower patterns all around the dress. She were white sandals with the tiniest bit of heel and pulled a small part of her hair into a ponytail, letting the rest of it ripple down her neck. She slipped on a gold bracelet and matching necklace and wore plain lip-gloss.  
  
Cassandra didn't believe Hermione was going to be so simple for a Quidditch player's wedding. She decided to wear a canary yellow sleeveless V-neck top with a khaki long skirt. She put a hair-band in her hair and let it fly down past her shoulders.  
  
When Cassandra and Hermione had finished dressing, Ginny ran into their room. She was wearing a soft blue dress, much like Hermione's.  
  
"You guys! I'm all out of blue eye shadow!" she exclaimed.  
  
Hermione and Cassandra started laughing. They had thought it was something a bit more serious for Ginny to be rushing into their room at the stroke of dawn on a Saturday.  
  
Cassandra handed Ginny her make-up bag, and Ginny quickly rummaged through it as Hermione and Cassandra decided which purses they were going to bring.  
  
Finally they were all ready. All three girls walked down to the Quidditch Fields. Over 100 people were already there.  
  
The reason everyone was gathering on the Quidditch Field was because there were to be so many people. Viktor and Fleur's families, closest, friends, and Madame Maxime were to be coming. Furthermore, the whole Hogwarts student body was going to be there along with Hogwarts faculty.   
  
The crowd was extremely noisy and also made the Earth nearly shatter to pieces when they roared for the Bulgarian Quidditch team, which had just walked in.  
  
Fleur and Viktor were going to have a traditional wizard wedding. Hermione could tell that right from the first because Fleur and Viktor were allowed to see each other. She wondered why Percy's wedding was rather Muggle like. Ron later told her it was because his dad wanted to have a little bit of Muggle-ness in that happy moment.  
  
Finally everyone was situated.   
  
The house-elves were allowed to show themselves and hundreds of them came from the kitchen and were going to be waiters for the evening. They were all standing in a row in front of one of the sets of stands. They had little tuxedoes (males) on with handkerchiefs and tiny little hats in which there enormous ears popped out of.  
  
The females were wearing dainty little black dressess with white aprons. They were to be filling goblets with drinks. The house-elves really out did themselves this time. They made special snacks and treats in honor of Fleur and Viktor. The first one was called Fleur's Fig Pie, which was fig pie with whipped cream on top. Viktor's dish was Bulgarian Biscuits which had a type of 'zing' to them, which most biscuits don't have.  
  
Winky and her fellow female house-elf friends filled goblets to the top with Butterbeer for Cassandra, Hermione, and Ginny when they walked past the entrance. Lulu, a house-elf even added a mount of whipped cream to each of the goblets – simply to make the treat more appetizing.  
  
Suddenly Hermione saw Fleur. She waved and Fluer came running towards her.  
  
Fleur Delacour was wearing pearly silk robes and her hair was cimpletely loose. She was looking more beautiful than ever. Her cheeks glowed with excitement and the prospect of marriage.  
  
"Hello Herm-own-ninny! I am so glad you came to mine and Viktor's vedding! Vis is truly a pleasure! She exclaimed.  
  
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Hermione assured Fleur as she gave her a huge hug.  
  
The cold weather was making Hermione's cheeks have a soft pink tinge, or so she told Cassandra and Ginny. She didn't want them thinking she got properly excited over weddings and that sort.  
  
"So, how many people are exactly here today?" Hermione asked Fleur.  
  
"Oh, see very many. Ze whole of my family has come. Of course Viktor's family has come voo. I invited twenty or so of my closest friends, and Viktor brought ze Bulgarian Quidditch team along vith him. Viktor got ze most adorable robe for our vedding. It just makes him look so handsome, you know? I am really very happy zat Viktor and I are getting married at last. It is something I have veen hoping for, for a long time now. Vell, how are you Herm-own-ninny?"  
  
"I'm terrific, completely excited about the wedding. You're right. You guys were made for each other. I wish you the best of luck, truly."  
  
"Oh, zank you Herm-own-ninny! Zat means zo much too me, zeriously!"  
  
"Well, you go have fun. I see a bunch of people trying to get your attention."  
  
"You are right! I must fly! Hope to see you soon Herm-own-ninny!"  
  
"Bye Fleur!"  
  
Fleur picked up the bottom of her dress and ran to a group of her friends from Beauxbatons. She threw her head back and began talking. Hermione could see that all of the girls were extremely jealous that Fleur was marrying Viktor Krum.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione had other things on her mind. She wanted to see a Wizard Wedding. Sure, she might have read about them, but more than anything, she wanted to see one up close and personal. Cassandra dragged her towards Ron and Harry who were both in dress robes.  
  
"Have you guys seen Bulgarian Seeker A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E yet?" Cassandra squealed.  
  
"No, but we have seen Viktor Krum," Ron teased.  
  
"Ahh! Lucky!" Cassandra shrieked.  
  
"Right..." Harry trailed off looking at the ground.  
  
"Don't tease me boy!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"So where is he?" she added excitedly.  
  
"He'll show up soon enough. He said he had something to give Hermione," Ron said.  
  
"For me? Awesome! What is it?" Hermione asked eagerly.  
  
"I'm not sure," Ron replied.  
  
"Well, you don't have to wait to long to find out," Harry said.  
  
Viktor was running up to Hermione just then.  
  
"Hello Herm-own-ninny! I have veen looking for you little sister," Viktor said in his thick accent.  
  
Harry and Ron exchange glances.  
  
Little sister???  
  
Cassandra squealed with jealousy, and Ginny's eyes were sparkling.  
  
"Hey Viktor! Congratulations again," Hermione replied with a bright smile.  
  
"Thank you Herm-own-ninny. I have something zat iz for you."  
  
"Really? What is it?"  
  
"It iz a book about Durmstrang. I hope zat you vill enjoy it Also, I vould like to give you zis necklace as a token of appreciation of all ze vonderful times ve have had together."  
  
"Thanks Viktor! This is really sweet of you!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Viktor smiled and walked away.  
  
Hermione unwrapped the book first.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione cried.  
  
"One Hundred and More Secrets to Durmstrang! This is amazing!" she exclaimed loudly.  
  
Then she took the necklace out of the bag Viktor had handed her. It was a beautiful sterling silver necklace with five charms. One was a wand, another a spell book, a wizard hat, a broom, and finally in the very center was Hermione's name.  
  
"This is gorgeous! I love it!" Hermione squealed.  
  
"I love it too! That's why I'm so jealous," Cassandra moaned.  
  
Hermione laughed.  
  
"It's gorgeous Hermione!" Ginny added.  
  
Ginny was looking a lot healthier than she had been yesterday. Hermione and Cassandra explained all about Shiree and Seamus and how none of it was true the night before.  
  
Finally the wedding started!  
  
A few veelas came out to the Quidditch grounds and did a quick dance as the opening ceremony. Then a short, fat guy (who appeared to be some type of minister) popped into the air. He plopped down on the Quidditch ground.  
  
"We are gathered here today because Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour want to be married..." the minister went on and on, chanting some magical words.  
  
"Your wedding has been confirmed. Now I pronounce you married! You may kiss the bride!" the minister shouted.  
  
Viktor kissed Fleur quickly, and then the real ceremony began.  
  
Hundreds of veelas now came streaming out. They held colorful ribbons in their hands and were doing a type of dance.  
  
Loud music was being played and suddenly everyone got up and started dancing. Fleur was wearing a glowing tiara. She and Viktor were in the middle of the Quidditch Field.  
  
"Let's go dance," Harry urged Hermione.  
  
Hermione smiled. "Okay."  
  
They walked off the Quidditch stands and got towards the center of the stage, dancing to the upbeat tunes.  
  
Cassandra and Ron started dancing too, followed by Ginny (reluctantly) and Seamus.  
  
When everyone was completely danced out, the house-elves brought out the cake. It was twenty layers in all and was topped with vanilla icing in dainty little swirls.  
  
Hermione bit into a piece and the icing melted in her mouth at once.  
  
"This is good food. But I'm going to weigh ten pounds more by the end of the night," she groaned.  
  
"No you won't!" Cassandra insisted, whose figure was perfect.  
  
"Yeah, well, I might as well enjoy it while I can, huh?" Hermione replied shaking her head.  
  
"Totally," Cassandra agreed.  
  
"All right," Hermione said rolling her eyes.  
  
They stayed outside till the sun sunk down.  



	46. Hermione's Love Disaster Returns

Chapter Forty-Six: Hermione's Love Disaster Returns (Part One)  
  
  
"If we win this game against Hufflepuff than we win the Quidditch Cup!" Harry told Ron, Cassandra, and Hermione excitedly.  
  
"We've got to do it," Cassandra said eagerly with her eyes shining.  
  
"I'm behind you all in spirit," Hermione joked.  
  
She was the only one out of them all that wasn't on the Quidditch team, but she still supported them one hundred percent.  
  
"Well, Hufflepuff is going to be a piece of cake. No Cedric Diggory..." Ron trailed off.  
  
Harry gave him a weary look.  
  
"Sorry," Ron said sheepishly.  
  
"Just remember. Work as a team," Hermione offered.  
  
"We will," Harry agreed.  
  
"Of course! Now, why don't we dig into these Ice Mice before they melt!" Cassandra exclaimed with sparkling eyes.  
  
Hermione sighed.  
  
And that was how it all began.  
  
Sunday night they got all their gear on.   
  
The sky was a glistening blue as the sun began to sink down. There were rays of bright pink and faint yellow floating amongst the clouds painted into the atmosphere. A few rabbits scurried alongside the paths, and owls flew around as it began to get darker. There were weird sounds coming from the Forbidden Forest, and deep gurgles coming from the Giant Squid in the lake.  
  
Harry, Cassandra, Ron, and the rest of the Quidditch team suited up in scarlet robes. They took their brooms by hand and walked out onto the Quidditch Field. This time there wasn't any cake, and there was no Viktor Krum.  
  
The Quidditch stands were floating in mid-air and everyone was ready for a good game of Quidditch. Justin Flinch-Fletchley was the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain. He played Beater.  
  
The crowd was roaring. Hermione sat on the left side with the other Gryffindors. She was carrying a colorful Scarlet banner and posted it to one side of the Stadium. Ravenclaw sat with Gryffindor, but Hufflepuff and Slytherin sat on the right side seats.  
  
Suddenly the game was in play.  
  
Ron quickly served and guided the Quaffle to the Hufflepuff goal post. He shot the Quaffle through Ernie McMillian's arms, who was the Keeper.  
  
"Hooray!" Hermione exclaimed from the stands as she threw her hands in the air.  
  
Kenneth Jordan was commentating again.  
  
"And here they go! Hufflepuff's off to a rough start, doesn't mean that they can't catch up, but you never know, right? Weasley scores again! Gryffindor leads twenty to nothing," he said quickly.  
  
Game went back into play, and all the players were flying around, trying to stay out of the Bludger's paths.   
  
Justin Flinch-Flethcley went over to Cassandra and said something that made her fiddle with her hair and throw her hand out frankly saying, "Oh, really?" when Hufflepuff fourth year Chaser, Camilla Bass, scored.  
  
Cassandra was thrown off her broom almost and Harry flew up towards her in rage.  
  
"Keep your eyes on the game!" Harry roared angrily towards Cassandra.  
  
Cassandra blushed deeply.  
  
"Sorry, Harry – babe," she replied meekly.  
  
"Sorry isn't going to make us win the game. Pay attention next time!" Harry hollered back as he caught sight of the snitch.  
  
"It's seems as though Gryffindor Seeker, Harry Potter, has caught glimpse of the Snitch!" Kenneth exclaimed excitedly.  
  
Harry threw his wild hair back and pierced his eyes out, looking around for the Snitch. He saw it right under Ernie McMillian's foot.   
  
A little bit further and Harry would have it.  
  
He stopped his broom as though he were searching of the Snitch so that nobody from Hufflepuff would suspect him. Then he swerved towards the Snitch.  
  
He reached his hand out and then suddenly – "Hufflepuff scores again! It's tied! Twenty to twenty!" Kenneth Jordan cried.  
  
Harry whooped around and missed the Snitch.  
  
"Damn!" he yelled.  
  
He turned back around and kept his eyes out like hawks for the Snitch.  
  
A few more minutes passed by and Gryffindor scored two easy goals.  
  
Then Hufflepuff scored another one.  
  
Gryffindor quickly retaliated when Ron shot the Quaffle back through the Hufflepuff post.  
  
"It's seventy to thirty in favor of Gryffindor!" Kenneth exclaimed happily.  
  
There wasn't that much excitement in the game just then. Kenneth decided to spice things up.  
  
"That Camilla Bass has got a pretty nasty zit. I mean, it's huge! Right on top of her huge nose! Would you take a look at that?" he exclaimed with a hand to his forehead in mock disbelief.  
  
"Kenneth Jordan! If you're going to take up on your brother's old rituals," Professor McGonagall began in a threatening tone that made Kenneth be quiet instantly again.  
  
After a while Kenneth decided to try again.  
  
"Oh! That nose!" he shrieked.  
  
Loud boos came from the Hufflepuff stands.  
  
"Mr. Jordan, I'm warning you..." McGonagall threatened.  
  
Kenneth got the point. His shifted his view towards the Quidditch game again.  
  
Finally Harry spotted the Snitch again. It was swinging on top of the Hufflepuff goal post.  
  
Harry threw all his force forward and swerved up and took the Snitch into his hand.  
  
"Gryffindor's won! Potter's done it! Games finished! Gryffindor wins 220 to nothing!" Kenneth Jordan shouted.  
  
Harry jumped off his broom happily. He landed on the ground and saw Hermione running towards him.  
  
"You did it Harry! You did it! This is terrific! We've won the Quidditch Cup!" she shouted.  
  
"I know!" Harry said uplifted.  
  
Hermione kissed Harry quickly on the cheek.  
  
It made the moment only sweeter for Harry.  
  
Their momentary happiness suddenly vanished when Pansy Parkinson came up with Professor Snape at her side. They were both looking at Hermione very dirtily.  
  
Pansy pointed a finger accusingly towards Hermione.  
  
"It's true Professor! Honest!" Pansy Parkinson cried.  
  
"I believe you," Snape assured Pansy with an evil smile.  
  
He turned to Hermione with a wicked glare.  
  
"Do you not know that Love Potions are banned at Hogwarts?" he asked with a sneer.  
  
"I don't know what you mean, Professor," Hermione said with a gasp.  
  
"Oh, really?" Snape asked with a twist.  
  
Hermione's heart sank.   
  
It happened so long ago! Why did it have to be brought up now?  
  
It was all Cassandra's fault really.   
  
If she hadn't made the stupid Love Potion! Now Hermione was going to have to take the blame! This was no fair! No fair at all!  
  
"Professor! I knew that Hermione made the Love Potion so that Draco would loose the Quidditch game for Slytherin. It isn't fair, and Gryffindor doesn't deserve to win the Quidditch Cup! Slytherin beat Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff also! We are the true champions!" Pansy shrieked.  
  
Harry's eyes popped out in horror.  
  
Hermione's heart sank further.  
  
"No, no, no!" she yelled to herself.  
  
First, she was going to get punished.   
  
Then, she lost the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor.   
  
Last of all, Harry had no idea about what was going on, and was probably very confused about the whole ordeal.   
  
Hermione would have an awful lot of explaining to do when they got back to the common rooms – if they got back to the common rooms.  
  
There was only one thing she could do.  
  
Hermione sank to the ground instantly.  
  
She had fainted!  
  
  
Part Two:  
  
"Well, young lady! I do believe that a few punishments are in order!" Snape exclaimed furiously.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione lying on the ground and back at Snape.  
  
"Uh, hello? She fainted! You can't punish her when she's fainted!" he yelled madly.  
  
"But I can punish you! Detention tomorrow night! I don't care how late you stay up Monday – cleaning the trophy room," Snape added with a dirty sneer.  
  
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again quickly. He knew from experience, not to toy with Snape when he had a wart ready to pop on the top of his head!  
  
"What about Hermione?" Harry asked sullenly.  
  
"What about her? She can stay on the ground and fake it for as long as she'd like, but she's STILL cleaning the trophy room!" Snape shouted, just as the wart popped.  
  
Harry muttered a few swear words to himself.  
  
He bent down towards Hermione.  
  
"Wake up Hermione," he whispered in her ear.  
  
And that was all it took. Hermione instantly became revived, no charms no spells, no potions. She sat up, slapping her palm to her forehead, wishing she had fainted again.  
  
She knew that Harry would be wondering what was going on, and that she would have to spill.  
  
"Well, you see," Hermione began nervously with a slight giggle. "It's all really funny... actually..."  
  
"And?" Harry prompted.  
  
"It all happened a few days after Cassandra er, arrived. She made a Love Potion so that Draco would be her – er, love slave... I haven't read up much on Love Potions, so at the time, I didn't know that the potion doesn't work on who you necessarily 'want' it to, but – like the Polyjuice Potion – it's already fixed. You need a little bit of the person you want it to happen to. I – not knowing it – accidentally took the potion. I didn't mean to take all of it, but it sort of happened..."  
  
"Why did you take the potion in the first place?" Harry asked with a confused expression on his face.  
  
"Here's where it gets funny... I kind of wanted you to like me," Hermione mumbled, looking at the ground.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione sharply.  
  
"You wanted it that horribly? Hermione, I've liked you for so long. All you had to do was talk to me about it, and I would have told you I liked you!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Well, you never exactly told me that you liked me either, you know!" Hermione retorted defensively.  
  
"Well, it's too late to sort things out now. Snape's going to make sure that Slytherin gets that Quidditch Cup!" Harry said angrily.  
  
Hermione shrunk back.  
  
"Don't get so mad, okay?" she said.  
  
"We'll be able to fix things," she added with as much confidence as she felt – zilch!  
  
Harry helped Hermione up, unable to keep his anger when it came to Hermione, and they walked back to the castle.  
  
~*~  
  
"Professor Dumbledore! You can't really take the Quidditch Cup away from Gryffindor, can you?" Hermione begged.  
  
"Well, under the circumstances, I'm not quite sure what I should do," Dumbledore replied with a slight twinkle in his left eye.  
  
"I know exactly what you should do! You should make sure that these little brats get what they had coming all along!" Snape exclaimed in rage.  
  
"Severus, calm yourself," Dumbledore commanded.  
  
Snape put his face into a little frown and stopped talking, but he did not stop making twisted evil grins towards Harry and Hermione.  
  
Suddenly Cassandra rushed through the door breathlessly and flung herself down in one of the chairs.  
  
"Please Professor Dumbledore! Don't punish them! It's all my fault, really. I tricked Hermione into taking the potion, just for fun. I never meant to cause any harm to the Slytherin Quidditch team. Hermione never distracted Draco anyway. Honest!" she shrieked.  
  
"Is this true?" Dumbledore asked Hermione.  
  
Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to words.  
  
Then Professor McGonagall appeared from the shadows.  
  
"Very well then. Gryffindor will play Slytherin again. That is the only way we can settle this matter. As for you, Ms. Taylor, you will serve your detention by staying after class on Friday and helping me grade papers. I'm sure there will be no Hogsmeade for you that day," McGonagall said sharply.  
  
"What? You're not going to let this go away so easily, are you Dumbledore?" Snape barked.  
  
"I believe that the punishment fits the crime," Dumbledore said calmly.  
  
Hermione didn't know how she did it, but she finally walked out of Dumbledore's office. She was more than grateful for Cassandra coming in and backing her up.  
  
"I owe you a million Cassi!" Hermione admitted.  
  
"Well, yeah. You can do all my homework for the rest of the year. That'll make us even," Cassandra replied.  
  
"I hope you were joking," Hermione said unsurely.  
  
"Yeah, I was," Cassandra said laughing.  
  
Cassandra stepped between Harry and Hermione and swung her arms around both of their outer shoulders.  
  
"I'd do anything for you guys," she said sweetly.  
  
"Yeah, well, please 'don't' make anymore Love Potions, and you'll be saving us a whole lot of trouble!" Harry groaned.  
  
Cassandra made a face at Harry's joke, and Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Let's go you guys!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
They walked all the way back to Gryffindor Tower with lighter hearts and brighter smiles.  
  
~*~  
  
Monday morning Hermione had Transfiguration. She didn't go to the Great Hall for breakfast, but instead, she went straight to McGonagall's classroom.  
  
Professor McGonagall was already in there, getting materials ready for class that day.  
  
"Hello Professor," Hermione said respectfully.  
  
"Hello Hermione. What are you doing here so early?" McGonagall asked politely.  
  
She was looking a bit different today. Her hair was – let down! There was a bright yellow shirt under her musky black work robes and she had colorful clips surrounding her hair. It seemed as if she were in a hurry taking the clips out and putting her hair back in her regular tight bun, so Hermione could tell something was up.  
  
"Professor, where were you earlier?" Hermione asked hesitantly.  
  
"With a friend..." McGonagall trailed off as a smile came to her lips.  
  
"Was it Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked with a grin.  
  
McGonagall hung her head.  
  
"Oh, if you must know, I did see Remus today. You don't think I was too done up, do you?" McGonagall said, seeking for an opinion.  
  
"Oh, not at all Professor! You look pretty!" Hermione replied honestly.  
  
And it was true. McGonagall was looking prettier than she had in years. Her cheeks were full of color, and she even decided to put some make up on, probably for the first time in her life!  
  
"Well, thank you Hermione. You can prepare yourself for class, since you're early," McGonagall said, now shifting a heavy stack of papers from her desk, to her podium.  
  
"Actually, I never got a chance to have breakfast. I was wondering if you had any old meal lying around...' Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Not to worry Hermione, dear," McGonagall assured her.  
  
She grabbed her wand, and mumbled a few words so that her bottom desk drawer opened and revealed many Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.  
  
"I know it isn't much, but it's all I have, this time in the day. Remus was going to bring me lunch, and he always brings me so much that I have stuff left over for snacks, which I usually have in the afternoon. Remus is really so thoughtful. He's just so kind and sweet, and handsome, and – and – and I'm getting carried away now, aren't I?" McGonagall said blushing brightly as Hermione grinned impishly her way.  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"Just a bit," she said, choking back laughter.  
  
Hermione grabbed a few Every Flavor Beans and popped them into her mouth as she walked back to her desk and dropped all her stuff down.  
  
~*~  
  
After Monday's classes were through (an interesting Care of Magical Creatures lesson, then Arithmancy with a weaker Professor Vector...), Harry, Ron, and Cassandra were suiting up for another Quidditch game.  
  
They quickly put on their Quidditch robes and muttered to each other angrily.  
  
"I can't believe we're actually having to replay Malfoy!" Ron said bitterly.  
  
"Well, I can't believe that we're doing this on a Monday! I've got nails to paint!" Cassandra exclaimed annoyed.  
  
"Paint nails? What about our homework?" Harry grumbled.  
  
They walked out onto the Quidditch field and started play almost at once.  
  
"The goal posts are all being well kept by both teams Keepers. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas from Gryffindor both shot Bludgers at Slytherin Chasers. Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, both Seekers are keeping their eyes out for the Snitch. Oh, no! Slytherin Chaser, Jimmy Broot, threw the Quaffle into the Gryffindor goal post. Is it going to score? No! Cassandra Nicole Taylor, Gryffindor Keeper, stops it from entering the post! That'll show Slytherin!" Kenneth Jordan exclaimed with vigilance.  
  
The sulky weather was the perfect setting for Slytherin to get Gryffindor edgy about the game, but the Gryffindor Quidditch team managed to keep their cool, and the scores were nothing to nothing, showing no improvement to either team. And perhaps it was better this way. As Draco searched for the Snitch, he attempted in throwing Harry off his broom several times. The last time was caught by Madam Hooch.  
  
"Penalty to Gryffindor!" she shouted loud and clear.  
  
Ron took a shot and scored.  
  
"Hooray! Gryffindor's taken an early lead in the game. The score's ten to nothing in favor of Gryffindor!" Kenneth yelled, barely keeping his hat on.  
  
The sun was falling below a large hill and the sky was getting darker and darker. Finally, as the game played on – still ten to nothing – torches were lit up and gave light as well as warmth to the Quidditch field.  
  
As the last rays from the sun fell under the hill, Gryffindor scored again!  
  
"Twenty to nothing! It's in favor of Gryffindor! Don't let Slytherin get you down Gryffindor. You know you're the true champions! Weasley from Gryffindor just scored a quick and easy! That's the way to do it! You'll show them who's –"  
  
"Jordan!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry – er, Professor," Kenneth Jordan mumbled sheepishly.  
  
Harry kept his eyes out for the Snitch, but to his dissapointment, it was nowhere in sight. It seemed as though the Snitch dissapeared forever. Harry grumbled to himself, but stayed on the look-out.  
  
The time quickly turned to midnight.  
  
"It's too late to play!" McGonagall insisted to Snape who was evilly watching the game.  
  
"No! They're going to play until they finish! Until Slytherin wins!" Snape barked fiercely.  
  
McGonagall backed down, not daring to argue.  
  
"Well, if you say so..." she trailed off, still quite anxious for the game to end.  
  
Finally at one in the morning, when the score was still twenty to nothing, McGonagall insisted that all first through third years head off to bed.  
  
"But I want to watch Harry Potter find the Snitch!" Marcus Longbottom exclaimed.  
  
"You'll get the results tomorrow!" McGonagall hollered back. "Off to be you go!"  
  
After much more moaning, groaning, and complaining, all the first through third years went off to bed.  
  
Even at two in the morning – as all the Quidditch players became exhausted – there was no change in the score.  
  
"Fourth through sixth years! Head off to bed now!" McGonagall yelled loudly.  
  
There was much more complaining, and finally the stands had only seventh year students and Hogwarts faculty.  
  
Then! Suddenly at around two thirty – Slytherin scored!  
  
"Noooooooooo!" Kenneth Jordan exclaimed (who was still up because he had to commentate...). "Slytherin scores! But never fear Gryffindor! You're still ten points up on them!"  
  
No such luck! By four in the morning, Slytherin gained two more goals.  
  
"Come on Gryffindor! You're behind!" Kenneth yelled.  
  
Suddenly Gryffindor decided that they simply had to win the game. They put all their might together and scored ten goals!  
  
"What a surprise! What a surprise! 120 to 30! Gryffindor's winning! Now Potter has to find the Snitch, and we'll triumph – again!" Kenneth screamed.  
  
Oh, sure. Put the pressure on me, Harry thought.  
  
The clock ticked away...  
  
Four thirty... Five...  
  
Suddenly Harry saw a flash of gold light heading his way. He reached out his hand and wrang his fingers around the small winged ball.  
  
"Gryffindor wins! They win by over two hundred points! Hooray!" Kenneth cheered loudly.  
  
Snape's beady eyes were popping out of his face, and he was looking completely vulgar. Draco Malfoy fell off his broom and landed on his wrong side, muttering swear words every which way. Pansy Parkinson was stomping up and down in rage, but other than that, all the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw seventh years were cheering loudly.  
  
Hermione jumped off the stands and swung her arms around Harry.  
  
"I knew you could do it!" she yelled over the loud roars from the rest of the crowd.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I could," Harry said grinning back.  
  
It was the happiest moment of his life.  



	47. The Frozen Figure

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Frozen Figure  
  
"That was totally awesome!" Hermione shrieked.  
  
They were back in their common room and it was more or less six in the morning. The fireplace had a blazing fire going, and everyone was sitting on huge beanbags, clutching large and fluffy pillows, making himself or herself fairly comfortable.  
  
"I know! I mean, we were so many points up on Slytherin!" Cassandra exclaimed with sparkling eyes.  
  
Ron laughed. "Cassandra, always the perky one."  
  
Suddenly the Portrait Hole flung open, and Professor McGonagall breezed inside.  
  
She walked to the middle of the common room and acknowledged each student with weary eyes.  
  
"You lot are going to wake up the other Gryffindors! Well, I suppose that you may have today off from all your classes – because the game took so long," she said sighing.  
  
All the seventh year Gryffindors leaped into the air with joy. No class!  
  
"None of the seventh years will have class today. You may do what you wish. Go to Hogsmeade. Have a party. I have things to attend to now... Just promise me you won't blow up the school – although I think there are charms that repel that," she added thoughtfully.  
  
Professor McGonagall left back through the Portrait Hole and Parvati yawned loudly.  
  
"Wow! We've got a completely free day! What do you want to do Harry sweets?" she asked obnoxiously.  
  
Hermione stuck her tongue out.  
  
Harry put his arm around Hermione, making Parvati writhe in jealousy.  
  
"I'm probably going to do something with Hermione," Harry replied.  
  
Hermione smiled with satisfaction, and it was Parvati's turn to stick her tongue out.  
  
"It's okay Parvati," Lavender said. "We've got so much to do anyway!"  
  
Cassandra made a face and Lavender and Parvati walked haughtily into the seventh year girl's dorms to get changed.  
  
~*~  
  
In the Slytherin common room, Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were right in the middle of a heated argument. The heat was in fact, so high a temperature, that it made the fire burning in the fireplace seem like a cool ice cream cone that one would enjoy having on a soft summer day.  
  
Pansy shook her head furiously as she began protesting.  
  
"You don't need to be worrying about her Draco! You're much too good for her... You should be caring for someone – like me!" Pansy exclaimed tearfully.  
  
"Pansy! I said shut up, and I'm saying it for the last time! Me and you are through!" Draco exclaimed loudly.  
  
He ran out of the Slytherin common room in anger.  
  
Pansy didn't understand how it was to be in love with a girl that your parents disapproved of, and what not. She was just a selfish little brat. If only Draco hadn't messed things up with Cassandra. He could have kept it going with her for a long time. How come things always had to go Weasley and Potter's way?  
  
First it was Cassandra. Then it was the Quidditch game. They were taking everything away from Draco. It just wasn't fair!  
  
He started walking in the Hogwarts halls. No one had waked up, except for the seventh years that were already up. He saw Parvati Patil walking outside of the Gryffindor Portrait Hole. Parvati was a beautiful girl, and she too, was in Gryffindor, against looked down upon by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. But it didn't matter. Whatever made Draco closer to getting Cassandra. He'd do anything it would take, if only Cassandra would be his. He decided he was going to go talk to Parvati.  
  
I'm so beautiful! I can't believe Harry doesn't like me. I need someone with power. Something that'll get him to notice me! Parvati exclaimed.  
  
Then she saw Draco. Suddenly, Parvati thought she found who she was looking for!  
  
~*~  
  
"Parvati!" Draco acknowledged.  
  
"Draco!" Parvati exclaimed.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you," the both said at the same time.  
  
"Really? What about?" Parvati asked as a few giggles escaped her mouth.  
  
They both stared at the ground for a few minutes.  
  
Then Draco looked up nervously. Parvati batted her long eyelashes carefully.  
  
"Do you want to – cough – go out with – cough – me?" Draco asked, half embarrassed.  
  
Parvati squealed with delight.  
  
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Parvati asked flirtatiously.  
  
"Well, then – I guess we're going out..." Draco trailed off.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," Parvati replied with a queer smile as she walked off.  
  
~*~  
  
After Hermione took her shower, she got dressed into a baby green ribbed tank and a bright blue sleeveless fleece polo shirt. She pulled on a pair of light jean flares and pulled her hair into a ponytail with a white ribbon. She slipped on an emerald bracelet and bright blue earrings. It was the perfect ensemble.  
  
Hermione skipped over to her bedside and grabbed her diary for a quick entry.  
  
Diary Entry # 5:  
  
Dear Diary,  
  
Forgive me for not having written in a million years, but a lot has been going on. I'll tell you right now that Viktor and Fleur's wedding was spectacular. There was food, food, dancing, food, and more food. Did I mention food and dancing? At any rate, it was a ton of fun, and I'm glad I got to be a part of it.  
  
Gryffindor played Hufflepuff in Quidditch and beat them. That was thrilling. But then Professor Snape found out about Cassandra's Love Potion from back when, and Gryffindor had to play Slytherin a rematch.  
  
That was the funniest. Cassandra admitted to everything, and I got off the hook, but other than that it was pretty cool. The game was Monday, last night. But guess what? It lasted until five or six in the morning!  
  
In fact, I just climbed out of my shower. I haven't gone to sleep since the night before last because we had the Quidditch game for so long. Oh, did I mention that Gryffindor won? Harry found the Snitch in the nick of time! We won by over 200 points. That was just way too awesome!  
  
So, now, when I finish with this entry, I'm going to grab my bag, and we'll (as in Harry, Cassandra, Ron, and I) do something fun because Professor McGonagall said that we can have the rest of the day off. I'll probably fall asleep when we're doing whatever we're doing, but oh well!  
  
I'll talk to you later!  
  
Sincerely, Hermione Granger  
  
And with that, Hermione snapped shut the lock on her diary and put it back into the drawer.  
  
She entered the common room again and saw Harry, Cassandra, and Ron all dressed, waiting for her.  
  
"What do you want to do?" she asked breezily.  
  
"Everyone else is just waking up. The Great Hall will be open for breakfast. We can go there first. Then, we can go to the Kitchen and say we were too late for breakfast and snag some food again. Then we can go to Honeydukes and get even MORE food!" Ron exclaimed excitedly.  
  
Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows.  
  
"I don't think so," she said delicately.  
  
"It's a thought," Ron replied shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"A far-out thought. Thanks anyway," Hermione said.  
  
Ron made a face and Hermione playfully slapped him.  
  
"Ouch, that hurt," Ron said sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Want me to make it hurt more?" Hermione threatened teasingly.  
  
"No thank you," Ron replied, putting his hands out.  
  
"Uh, hello?" Cassandra asked waving her hands in front of Hermione's face. "We're still here, believe it or not," she added, gesturing to her and Harry.  
  
Hermione smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot," she said with a grin.  
  
Cassandra banged Hermione on the head.  
  
"How could you forget about mwa?" she asked in a French accent.  
  
"Who knows? God forbid it to ever happen again," Hermione replied sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Cassandra replied triumphantly.  
  
"Know who's been quiet through all of this? Harry," Hermione realized.  
  
She turned to him.  
  
"What's eating you?" she asked when she saw the frozen expression on his face.  
  
He didn't move a muscle.  
  
"Harry!" she exclaimed shaking his arms wildly.   
  
Suddenly Hermione was getting very afraid.  
  
"What's up? What's wrong?" she asked nervously.  
  
He stayed as expressionless and stood up straight – looking almost dead!  
  
"Harry! What's wrong? I can't believe this. Wake up! Say something! Get out of what you're in! This is like some kind of trance or something! It has to be!" Hermione shrieked frantically.  
  
"Oh my God! This is just like a soap opera or something," Cassandra wailed.  
  
Her mild joke didn't make Harry come back from his statue mold, and Hermione didn't know what to do. She ran around in circles for a few mere minutes and slapped her hands to her cheeks, completely horrified.  
  
There was complete silence for a while.  
  
Then someone spoke.  
  
"Hermione! You read a lot! Tell us what's happened!" Ron exclaimed as he stood in shock.  
  
"Don't you think if I knew what was wrong, I'd perform the counter-curse immediately? What type of a hare-brained person are you?" Hermione replied bitterly.  
  
Hermione quickly turned back to Harry.  
  
"Harry! Speak to me! What's wrong? Why are you frozen? Why are you so stiff?" she pleaded.  
  
She put her fingers to his neck to see if there was a pulse.  
  
"Oh my God! There isn't a pulse! I think he's dead!" 


	48. Snape's Secret

Chapter Forty-Eight: Snape's Secret (Part One)  
  
"I don't believe this! I think he's dead!" Hermione exclaimed again.  
  
Cassandra and Ron gasped.  
  
Suddenly Harry started choking. He coughed loudly.  
  
Hermione, Cassandra, and Ron froze. They were waiting anxiously to see what was happening.  
  
Then before Hermione knew what she was doing, she pulled Harry into a chair and instantly ran to his knees.  
  
"Harry! What happened?" she cried.  
  
Harry looked down at her, and helped her up.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked ignorantly.  
  
"You were choking a minute ago! Two minutes ago you were dead! You had no pulse!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"It was the Potion," Harry whispered to Hermione.  
  
Hermione's jaw dropped, but she instantly popped it back up and looked at Cassandra and Ron nervously.  
  
To Cassandra, Ron, AND Hermione, he said, "I don't know. I think I fell asleep with my eyes open."  
  
Hermione suddenly exchanged eyes of understanding with Harry.  
  
Ron and Cassandra weren't thoroughly convinced, but they shook their heads and simply went with the flow.  
  
"Harry! I'm so glad you're back to normal and not dead like we thought you were!" Hermione exclaimed, flinging her arms around him.  
  
Harry kissed her tenderly. Hermione thought she died and went to heaven just then.  
  
As soon as she got BACK to reality, Hermione dusted herself off and blushed as she gazed at Ron and Cassandra.  
  
"Well, where are we off to?" she asked breezily.  
  
"Where would you like to go?" Harry asked.  
  
"All I know is that I'm starving right now," Cassandra decided.  
  
"Ditto!" Ron agreed.  
  
"Then, it's off to the Great Hall," Hermione chimed.  
  
"And then to the Kitchens?" Ron added hopefully.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Think – not!"  
  
~*~  
  
After an excellent breakfast (pancakes, toast, cereal, porridge, you name it!), Ron, Harry, Cassandra, and Hermione went back to the Common Room to study for a major Potions test. After about an hour, they took a quick study break.  
  
"Hermione, Hermione! Come on! This is a free day. We shouldn't be studying. We should be out – dancing, singing, lolly gagging..." Ron trailed off.  
  
Hermione shook her head.  
  
"No way! This is exactly the kind of time we need to get our studying done with. I'm surprised Neville never came. Then again, knowing him... He probably forgot. Nevertheless, what is a Joomptaplace?" Hermione asked with a wave of her hand.  
  
"A long worm that treats several cancers," Ron droned on.  
  
"Name the cancers!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Blah, blah, blah.  
  
"Well, I'm proud of you! You'll be ready for our test tomorrow in Potions for sure!" Hermione concluded confidently.  
  
Ron dropped his jaw.  
  
"It's tomorrow?" he asked with a huge gulp.  
  
Hermione looked at him strangely.  
  
"Yes... It's tomorrow," she said uncertainly.  
  
"What's the big deal? Didn't you know that tomorrow was Wednesday or something?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"No! I completely forgot! I've got Charms homework to finish!" Ron cried.  
  
Hermione slapped her palm to her forehead and let Ron finish his work in peace.  
  
~*~  
  
After everyone made sure that they had finished their homework, Cassandra insisted a quick trip to Hogsmeade.  
  
They went to Honeydukes to restock their supplies on sweets.  
  
As Harry and Ron looked through assorted chocolates, Hermione and Cassandra were buying Acid Pops to give to Parvati and Lavender.  
  
"This'll get them back for trying to mess with my man," Hermione decided with a giggle.  
  
Cassandra tossed her head arrogantly, trying to mock Parvati.  
  
"I'm the most beautiful person in the world! Everyone must be in love with me!" she cried.  
  
"Actually, I think that's what Cho Chang would say," Hermione pointed out.  
  
Cassandra smiled sheepishly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Cassandra agreed.  
  
"I know. I'm always right," Hermione replied laughing.  
  
"And here comes Miss Modest," Cassandra said sarcastically.  
  
~*~  
  
After a quick stop at the Three Broomsticks, and a few minutes at Zonkos, they managed to arrive back at Hogwarts, all in one piece.  
  
They threw off their heavy cloaks and gathered near the fireplace once again.  
  
"It was a good day. I'm glad we had it off," Hermione admitted.  
  
"True, but classes start up tomorrow again," Harry reminded them.  
  
"All good things must come to an end," Cassandra pointed out.  
  
"Tomorrow will be a day full of good things and surprises. You just wait and see," she added.  
  
Hermione looked at Cassandra queerly.  
  
"Is this is your sixth sense kicking in Cassi?" she asked unsurely.  
  
"I'm not sure. Maybe, maybe not. All I know is that each day is worth living. Each day comes for a reason, a purpose. So I live each one of them to their fullest!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
And with that she fell straight asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
A beautiful Wednesday morning came to everyone at Hogwarts.  
  
Hermione was only slightly miffed that Professor Snape and his horrid tests would spoil their good fortune.  
  
Of course Hermione never had any actual trouble with the tests... Still, she detested Professor Snape for even creating them. She could have spent so much more 'free' time with Harry... But she had to study, study, and study!  
  
Hermione got up and pulled out a work robe in morbid gray. She put her hair up with a quick jaw clip, making sure that it kept out of her face. Under her robe, Hermione wore a yellow polo three-quarter shirt, and jeans.  
  
"Got to get to Potions," she mumbled to herself.  
  
Hermione grabbed her books, stopped quickly at the Great Hall for some breakfast, and rushed into the last Potions dungeon.  
  
She expected to see Professor Snape in his usual horrible mood, but she was actually surprised to see him with a huge steaming cauldron – full of candy!  
  
He was wearing a huge grin as well!  
  
"Professor Snape?" Hermione muttered under her breath.  
  
"Hello everyone!" Snape exclaimed.  
  
"What is going on?" Cassandra whispered behind Hermione's shoulder.  
  
"Must be your sixth sense that we were talking about. Good things..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"But what exactly is this?" Cassandra asked, awed.  
  
Hermione shrugged and carefully took her seat.  
  
It was then that Hermione saw a boy sitting in her seat. This boy had a pale face with cold stone gray eyes. He was looking fairly evil.  
  
"Um, excuse me. This is my seat, and I was er, wondering if I could sit in it," Hermione mumbled.  
  
The boy's gray eyes gazed up at Hermione. He had a half-grin on his face and seemed to be studying Hermione – very carefully.  
  
"Oh, okay. Sorry. My name is Xander. Yours?" he asked Hermione in a dead accent.  
  
A shiver went up Hermione's spine.  
  
"Hermione," Hermione replied faintly.  
  
"Last name?" Xander asked.  
  
"Granger. Yours?" she questioned.  
  
"Creeder," Xander told her.  
  
He stood up and moved away from Hermione's seat. He ventured to Professor Snape. Surprisingly Snape's fixed smile turned into a wide grin as he saw Xander walking towards him.  
  
"Xander! What's the matter? Why aren't you sitting?" he asked.  
  
"Hermione Granger sits there," Xander pointedly said.  
  
Unbelievably, Snape hardly twitched at the mention of Hermione's name. Something was definitely up. Instead, he searched for an empty seat.  
  
"That one will do. Right next to Mr. Malfoy," Snape finally decided.  
  
The seat happened to be Pansy Parkinson's, but Malfoy and Pansy were not sitting with each other anymore – so, it was just the seat for Xander.  
  
"Well!" Snape said brightly.  
  
He turned his gaze to the whole of the class.  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Cassandra looked at each other and back at Snape.  
  
"Something is definitely up!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
~*~  
  
"When I had Xander, I had no idea what to do with him," Tasha exclaimed to Narcissa tearfully.  
  
"Of course. It was all Severus' fault anyway," Narcissa replied with a scowl.  
  
"But he wouldn't take him..." Tasha trailed off.  
  
"I think I can take matters into my own hands," Narcissa decided.  
  
"What? How?" Tasha asked eagerly.  
  
"Since you're going off to battle... I suppose that I can take Xander to our house. I'll send him off to Hogwarts – for a few days anyway," Narcissa replied carefully.  
  
"Thank you ever so much. I'm doing my best to serve Tom. I just hope that – never mind," Tasha stopped abruptly.  
  
Narcissa arched an eyebrow.  
  
"What? What do you hope?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Nothing. Just take good care of Xander for me – please," Tasha insisted.  
  
She ran away – quickly from the Malfoy mansion.  
  
~*~  
  
"I mean, c'mon you guys! Something is totally up! Snape looks like he's about to pass out candy!" Cassandra continued – extremely suspicious.  
  
And just at the moment, Professor Snape 'did' start handing out candy.  
  
"I'm sorry! If you don't like Chocolate Frogs, there's a stash of Acid Pops in my desk drawer – just kidding!" Snape exclaimed merrily.  
  
Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Cassandra exchanged confused glances.  
  
"I got it!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
"Got what?" Hermione asked crossly.  
  
"The reason why Snape's so nice!" Cassandra replied excitedly.  
  
"And what might that be?" Hermione asked, folding her arms.  
  
"It's that Xander kid!" Cassandra whispered softly, so that Harry and Ron wouldn't hear their conversation.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, Snape's never been so nice. And the same day a weird kid shows up – he starts – like I said – handing out candy!" Cassandra insisted.  
  
"Don't go jumping to conclusions. This Xander kid may be nothing more than a new student. Keep your horses on," Hermione demanded.  
  
Inwardly, Hermione regretted saying that to Cassandra. She needed someone to assure her that this Xander kid was a messed up person.  
  
Because – really and truly – Hermione was absolutely shocked and completely interested by the evil creature. She heart skipped a few beats.  
  
Then Hermione shook her head. It was probably the shock of Snape becoming so nice all of a sudden. And why was that? Was it really because of Xander?  
  
Hermione had so many questions and not enough answers. She rolled her eyes and turned her focus back to Professor Snape.  
  
"There's more where that came from!" Snape exclaimed, slamming his cauldron back on his desk.  
  
Hermione toyed with her Chocolate Frog package. She tapped her finger nails on the flat desk. Snape hadn't even started a lesson, much less pass out their test! Hermione couldn't stand the boredom. Snape was humming around the classroom, often making glances at Xander. They were mysterious glances. Some were smiling. Some were hurt. Some were burning with anger. And at the very same moment, Hermione was burning of curiousity.  
  
Curiousity about the mysterious Xander. How did he come to be? Why was he there in the first place?  
  
~*~  
  
"It was really absurd! Tasha popped in here – just like old times. She pretended as if we haven't talked in ages. I think she likes Tom," Narcissa admitted.  
  
"How dare you? Call him our lord!" Lucius growled.  
  
"Whatever... Anyway, I let Xander take the north guest wing. He should be fine there until we get him situated at Hogwarts. I must admit, Tasha's got some courage – going to battle for herself. Severus would have never done anything like that. He's backed out on us. He probably didn't even know that Xander was..." Narcissa stopped herself.  
  
"Was what?" Lucius growled again.  
  
"Never mind. It isn't important," Narcissa replied shivering.  
  
Lucius and Narcissa rose at the same time. Narcissa tempted to leave, but Lucius grabbed her strongly by the arm.  
  
"Don't you run away from me Narcissa! If there's a secret that I don't know about – I want to hear it!" he demanded.  
  
Narcissa gave up.  
  
"All right. But you can't get mad. Sit down," she directed. "I'll tell you."  
  
~*~  
  
The Prophecy... It must have something to do with this, Hermione decided.  
  
The infuriating, nagging sense that Hermione knew Xander – or needed to know Xander – bugged her horribly.  
  
As Hermione shook her head once more, she decided that her lessons were more important than Xander. And since Professor Snape was merrily humming a tune at his desk, Hermione decided she should prepare herself for the Charms test coming up after lunch.  
  
She opened her clean books (no pages were tore, bent, or written on) and reviewed all the required information for the test. Suddenly a shadow was over Hermione and not giving her light to read.  
  
She looked up cautiously.  
  
Xander's sullen figure was standing in front of her.  
  
He threw Hermione off.  
  
"Hello Hermione Granger," he said deviously.  
  
"Back at you," Hermione replied nervously.  
  
"So, you any good at this Charms stuff?" Xander asked.  
  
"Well, er, just a bit," Hermione said smoothing her hair.  
  
"Good. Then you can help me with it," Xander replied softly.  
  
His gray eyes looked at Hermione carefully. "Do you think you could?"   
  
  
  
Part Two:  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Hermione asked swallowing.  
  
"Can you help me? You seem to be a whiz at this stuff. Can you help me?" Xander asked.  
  
"Er, I guess. What do you need help with?" Hermione questioned.  
  
A few trinklets of sweat formed on her forehead. She anxiously wiped them away and turned to Xander's paper.  
  
"Well, I'm a bit stuck on one through fifty," Xander replied sheepishly.  
  
"The whole thing? Are you sure?" Hermione asked, shocked.  
  
"No. I've got it, most of it anyway. I was just playing with you. I like to think I'm not that clumsy," Xander said, sitting down closer to her.  
  
"Really? That's nice," Hermione replied in a bare whisper.  
  
"So, I'm guessing you're a study girl?" Xander acknowledged in a teasing tone.  
  
"I guess you could call me that..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Would you like to study with me sometime?" Xander asked, nearing her, making her feel even more edgy than before.  
  
"Actually, I've already got a few study buddies," Hermione mumbled, gesturing to Harry, Ron, and Cassandra, who were now looking closely at Xander.  
  
Hermione looked at Cassandra for help, and Cassandra took charge.  
  
"Hey beautiful! My name's Cassandra..." she trailed off, looking at Xander deviously.  
  
Xander looked thrown off. Hermione was only thankful that Cassandra could play the game too. The game of messing with people's minds, that is.  
  
"Huh?" Xander asked, obviously unprepared for what was just happening.  
  
"Well, I mean, I too think I'm gorgeous... But of course, you should probably go bother the Slytherins... They seem to like that sort of thing. We don't. Get the picture?" Cassandra asked smugly.  
  
Xander shook his head.  
  
Things were obviously not going the way he wanted them to.  
  
"I might try them then. Thanks Cassandra," he replied half irritated.  
  
Then he walked off.  
  
"Well, that should settle that creep major!" Cassandra exclaimed shuddering.  
  
She slapped her palms together, dusting them off, as if she had done something amazing.  
  
Hermione offered her a wry smile.  
  
"Well, thanks for getting him away from me. He's such a creep! I don't know what's up with him. It's just so weird, you know? I mean, I never said a word to him... And then he just shows up – in my face – trying to tell me to help him on his homework!" Hermione admitted, a bit freaked out.  
  
"Translation – jerk major!" Cassandra exclaimed.  
  
Both the girls collapsed into giggles.  
  
Ron and Harry both arched an eyebrow.  
  
"What was that guy doing with you?"  
  
"What were you doing flirting with that guy?"  
  
Ron and Harry asked their questions at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed. Hermione and Cassandra exchanged glances.  
  
"What do you think we were doing?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Getting that weirdo freak person away from us," Cassandra supplied for the two guys.  
  
"Weirdo freak person..." Ron trailed off. "That's a new one."  
  
Cassandra grinned sheepishly. "You know what I meant."  
  
Hermione swung one arm around Cassandra's shoulder. "We always know what you mean," she said with a smile.  
  
Finally Hermione felt that all the tension had left her body. A peaceful feeling swept over her, and she spent the rest of Potions rechecking her Charms homework and talking with Ron, Harry, and Cassandra.  
  
When the bell rang, Snape dismissed everybody. He waited at the entrance of the dungeon, and as everyone left, he handed them little goody bags filled with sweets.  
  
Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Cassandra walked to Charms quickly. They opened up their books and got started on the lesson eagerly and quickly.  
  
"A Timetaker Charm basically slows down everything you're doing. It stops time, or takes away time, or simply makes things go slow. However you wish to work it," Professor Filtwick was mumbling on as he paced the floor rapidly.  
  
Hermione slowly turned her head towards Xander. She couldn't help herself. She felt as though something was pulling her towards him. Something – that was like a strange outside force through some magical powers that were unknown to her.  
  
And then!  
  
Xander was looking right back at her. His stone gray eyes had a slight twinkle. His face bared mischeif. Hermione could sense trouble. But did she care? Not one bit.  
  
Instead, she became more interested in the weird creature who was sitting only three desks away from her. Instead, her heart began to pound with anticipation.  
  
But what was it about Xander? What was it that made her suddenly so nervous and crazed? Although Hermione was extremely smart, nowhere in her mind, could she find the answer to the absurd question that was rapidly traveling through her body at that very moment.  
  
She didn't know. Well, not quite anyway. Now her mind was almost amorphous, sticking together in some crazed way. She did not even know herself, what was going on. How strange... Hermione always had control over herself. But then again, here was this force that was attracting her. This mysterious force that was coming from the freak that popped into Hermione's world on an unusually wicked morning.  
  
Hermione shook her head. Perhaps she was imagining things again. As she did – never! No, this had to be real, whatever it was that she was going through. But what?  
  
And then Hermione's eyes locked with Xander's. She knew she had to stop herself, but something kept her going. After class finished, Hermione stayed directly in her seat.  
  
Everyone else ran out the arched door, headed for a good lunch before they went off to their evening classes. But not Hermione. She didn't budge.  
  
Before she knew it, Xander walked up to her seat once again.  
  
"I think I understand now," he said with an impish grin.  
  
"Huh?" Hermione asked, scrunching her eyebrows.  
  
"The homework. Sorry. I'm new here, and we weren't doing this stuff back at my old school," Xander exclaimed carelessly.  
  
"Really? Where'd you go?" Hermione questioned, now eager for conversation.  
  
"Durmstrang. I'm sure you've heard of it," Xander replied with a knowing glance.  
  
"Of course. When the Triwizard Tournament was hosted here, we got to meet some of the er, students from Durmstrang," Hermione acknowledged.  
  
"How nice. Would you like to walk with me to Lunch now?" Xander asked suddenly.  
  
"Well, there's no one else to walk with..." Hermione trailed off as heat reached her cheek bones, and she could feel herself blushing deeply.  
  
"Then let's go," Xander replied.  
  
They headed off to the Great Hall – which caused another catastrophe.  
  
~*~  
  
"Look at her Harry! Just look at her! I thought she was your girlfriend. What's she doing with the new kid?" Parvati Patil asked with a covert glance towards Hermione and Xander.  
  
Harry shrugged, but he looked a little bit hurt.  
  
"Not to say that I want to go out with you," Parvati added hesitantly. "I'm going out with Draco right now!"  
  
She looked at Harry discreetly, hoping for some show of emotion. None came.  
  
It was Lavender's turn.  
  
"Of course Parvati! You and Draco are just the cutest couple. Little old me has no one. But I've always liked you, Harry..." she trailed off.  
  
"That's nice," Harry said irritatedly.  
  
Both Parvati and Lavender frowned. It seemed as though no matter what they did, Harry was steadfast on Hermione. No fair for them at all!  
  
Of course, Parvati and Lavender didn't give up that easily. They were fighters!  
  
"Look at her! She's walking so close to him. You don't need a girl like her. You need someone more like me," Lavender insisted.  
  
Harry looked tired, but he faced Lavender.  
  
"Well, okay," he replied selflessly.  
  
"Great. Do you need anything? Anything at all?" Lavender asked anxiously.  
  
"No. I've got everything I need," Harry replied.  
  
"Super! Parvati and I are just going to get up for a few seconds. We'll be right back. Promise," Lavender added with a wink.  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
Parvati and Lavender jumped up. They walked over to Hermione who was helping herself to some beef stew.  
  
"I always knew that in the end, everything would make sense," Parvati said smugly to Hermione.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked blankly.  
  
"Well, after Harry realized that you certainly didn't want him anymore, and that you were much better off with this, er – FREAK, he decided that he liked Lavender more," Parvati exclaimed with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Yeah, whatever Parvati! You probably decided that for him. You know, I don't care. I'm just having a conversation with – Xander?" Hermione suddnely whipped around.  
  
Xander was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Xander?" she asked, yet again.  
  
"Looks like your new boyfriend just flew away from you. Maybe he's got fangs too. Wouldn't that be something? Mrs. AND Mr. Dracula, at your service, huh? Well, toodaloo. Draco's waiting for me, and ahem, Harry's probably waiting for Lavender," Parvati screeched as her and Lavender turned around and stomped off.  
  
Hermione was suddenly filled with rage. She folded her arms and shook her head angrily.  
  
"You wish, oh, you just wish!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Severus did that? You can't be serious!" Lucius exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Yes, I'm serious. Why do you care so much anyway?" Narcissa demanded all of a sudden.  
  
"Well, Tasha's just a nice person. That's all," Lucius replied quickly.  
  
Narcissa eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"That's all?" she asked queerly.  
  
"Don't ask me stupid questions!" Lucius exclaimed, brushing her off.  
  
"Fine then! Xander's off at Hogwarts now. I hope he completes his task. Did you know?" Narcissa asked suddenly.  
  
"Know what?" Lucius demanded folding his arms.  
  
"About Tasha," Narcissa replied carefully.  
  
"What are you trying to say? What do you know about Tasha – that I don't?" Lucius questioned arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, it's just that – Xander's a vampire... Well, half-vampire," Narcissa said, as plainly as possible.  
  
"Snape was a vampire?" Lucius exclaimed, jumping off of his seat.  
  
"No. Tasha was. And now Xander's going to finish off Hermione and Harry for us." 


	49. The Tragic Duel

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Tragic Duel  
  
Hermione was sitting back in the common room.  
  
After all her classes were over, she couldn't bare to look Harry in the eye. He didn't honestly think that Xander, wherever Xander disappeared to, was the one that Hermione liked! No! Never! Hermione was one hundred percent truly devoted to Harry. She was madly in love with everything about him, from the messy hair, to the cute little grin he had.  
  
She didn't really like Xander. It was that sudden sensations of seeing someone new enter her life for a few moments. In all truth, Xander was the creepiest guy that he'd ever met, and that included Malfoy! Hermione thought that Xander wasn't really even human!  
  
At any rate... She still felt as though she let down Harry. She didn't even know where Harry was.  
  
Probably with Lavender, Hermione lazily thought.  
  
She went up to her room and lay on her bed for several minutes.  
  
Tomorrow would be Thursday, Transfiguration.  
  
After gazing at her ceiling, for what seemed like hours, Hermione sat back up again. She walked to the sink and poured cold water on to her face, smearing her mascara. When all her make up was washed away completely, she looked back into the mirror.  
  
There wasn't anything bad about the way she looked. Perfectly – well, perfect. She looked almost the same as when she had make-up on. Her cheeks were still glowing a rosy tinge. Her hair was layered in the most perfect of ways. Her teeth was straight, and her lips weren't as shiny but still elegant. Her cinnamon eyes sparkled as light reflected off of them. She truly was perfect.  
  
It was no wonder that Harry loved her as much as she loved him. But Hermione didn't even know that. She knew none of it at all.  
  
Hermione suddenly wanted to go find Cassandra. She hadn't talked to her in ages. Where would Cassandra be on a pretty day such as this one? Of course! Outside, flying a kite or something else that required energy and a bright smile.  
  
Hermione changed into some comfortable blue pants from Abercrombie and Fitch with orange bungee strings. She slipped in an orange Abercrombie shirt that was tight-fitted. Then Hermione grabbed her cloak and ran outside.  
  
Hermione searched the grassy meadows for any sight of Cassandra, but she didn't see her at all. When she was just about to give up, she heard some loud shouting.  
  
"I had her first! Why don't you take a hike?" she heard the cold familiar voice of Draco Malfoy shout.  
  
"Well, I have her now! What's your point?" Ron hollered back.  
  
"My point is as follows – we duel for her!" Draco yelled.  
  
This was not what Ron was expecting at all! Hermione felt guilty about eavesdropping, but she couldn't help herself. Whatever she stumbled into was serious, and like everything else, it was about Cassandra Nicole Taylor.  
  
Now they were going to duel! Duel for – Cassandra! Hermione gasped. She put her hand to her mouth and ducked behind a rock to make sure that Ron would stay safe. She didn't really care about Draco.  
  
"Fine! I'll duel! Anything for Cassandra!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
Hermione wanted to jump out there and stop Ron from making what seemed to be the biggest mistake of his life. She wouldn't be able to bare it if anything happened to freckle faced, red haired, long nosed Ron Weasley, who she had been friends with since her first year of Hogwarts. She couldn't stand it at all!  
  
But Hermione knew that she was indeed eavesdropping and there was nothing she could do about it. She would have to stay still and simply watch what went on.  
  
"Bow Weasley! You always bow to your opponent. Didn't your poor parents teach you any manners? Or were they too busy begging for food?" Draco spat out nastily.  
  
"Shut up! Don't talk about my family that way!" Ron exclaimed, color coming to his cheeks in the shade of a fierce red.  
  
Hermione knew something bad was about to happen. She knew that she should stop it right now – before things got out of hand. Still, she stayed patient and behind the rock.  
  
Finally Draco and Ron both bowed to each other. They took out their wands and faced each other in the formal dueling position.  
  
They shouted at what seemed to be the same time, but Draco's charm worked first.  
  
"Tarentellagra!" Draco barked.  
  
Ron's feet went into a wicked dancing pattern.  
  
"Metacarpalockus!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
Draco's hands froze down to his sides, and he could barely lift his wand.  
  
Draco muttered some swear words under his breath with rage and then continued.  
  
"Whatcha doin'?" a voice asked behind Hermione.  
  
Hermione popped around and saw herself face to face with Cassandra.  
  
"Great Wizards Cassi! You scared the hell out of me!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"So, what are you doing? Playing hide and seek or something?" Cassandra asked.  
  
"No. Ron and –" Hermione began, but Cassandra cut her off.  
  
"Oh, look! There's Ron! I think I'm going to go say hi to him!" Cassandra decided.  
  
Hermione started begging her to come back, but she wouldn't listen. She wanted to go say hi to her dear boyfriend.  
  
Draco didn't see Cassandra crossing the fields to talk to Ron, and suddenly shouted, "Epiarsonic!"  
  
A shot of fire swung at Cassandra near the left side of her chest.  
  
"No!" Draco, Ron, and Hermione cried at the same time.  
  
Cassandra fell to the ground instantly.  
  
"Please don't let it be through her heart," Hermione cried to herself.  
  
Blood was sinking into the grass immediately. Draco and Ron were frozen stiff.  
  
Hermione knew she had to take charge.  
  
She ran to Cassandra's feet instantly.  
  
"Grab her in the middle and at the feet," Hermione ordered anxiously.  
  
Ron grabbed Cassandra's feet and Draco stood between them, holding her waist.  
  
"To the Hospital, now!" Hermione commanded,  
  
Both men obeyed. They rushed Cassandra up fleets of stairs and watched blood soak through Cassandra's soft purple shirt.  
  
There seemed to be a small hole in her skin where Draco had shot fire through her. The bone even had a hole bore through it.  
  
Now tears were pouring down Hermione's face. Cassandra seemed to be completely unconscious.  
  
After what felt like ages, they had reached the old homey hospital. They were surprised to see that Harry was already in there.  
  
Hermione didn't even stop to ask Harry what was wrong with him, but he seemed to understand that something was horrible wrong when he saw Cassandra being carried and tears streaming down Hermione's elegant face.  
  
He instantly ran to Cassandra's side and helped get her settled on a bed.  
  
Madam Pomfrey suddenly entered through the doorway with her hands full of remedies.  
  
When she saw all of them, the potions crashed to the floor.  
  
"What happened? What happened?" she cried.  
  
"These two blokes were dueling, and they accidentally hit Cassandra," Hermione explained quickly.  
  
Madam Pomfrey slapped her hands to her cheeks and gasped loudly.  
  
"Great wizards," she murmured under her breath.  
  
"No kidding," Hermione retorted, unable to stop herself.  
  
Madam Pomfrey rushed to her cabinet and grabbed a large bottle called Epidermis-grow.  
  
"Turn her over," Madam Pomfrey ordered.  
  
They did so quickly. Madam Pomfrey squirted a thick gooey substance from the bottle, into her hand and rubbed it hard in the spot where Cassandra had the fire burn through her skin.  
  
In a few minutes there was a thin sheet of skin appearing over the hole.  
  
"It'll get thicker. Now we can turn her over. That's just so she doesn't loose anymore blood although I dare say she has already," Madam Pomfrey said sadly.  
  
The other four turned Cassandra back over.  
  
"Finally, blood isn't all over the place," Draco muttered.  
  
It was the first thing he had said all night since they took Cassandra up to the hospital.  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Harry glared at him.  
  
"For the sake of the Muggles, you could have said something with a bit more tact. I mean, our best-friend might be dying right here, right now," Hermione cried.  
  
"Don't say that! She can't die!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
Hermione gazed at Cassandra for a few lingering seconds. Tears welled up in her eyes once again.  
  
"I don't believe this," she exclaimed.  
  
She ran out of the room, but Harry quickly caught up with her.  
  
"Hermione, calm down, it's okay!" Harry insisted.  
  
"How can you say it's okay? Huh? Answer me that! Those two numbskulls were dueling over her and then they killed – well Draco killed – Cassandra. Of course she isn't dead yet! But who expects to live after they've been shot with a ball of fire? No one, that I know of!" Hermione retorted sharply.  
  
"Hermione, Cassandra's going to survive. She has to!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
Hermione and Harry found their way to Harry's room. They lied down on the neat, made bed, and for a few moments, the only sounds were of Hermione's sniffing and muffled crying.  
  
Then suddenly Hermione said, "I know this is extremely selfish of me, but what about Lavender?"  
  
"What about her? She's a brat! Why do you even believe them when they tell you stuff, anyway?"  
  
"Hey, you weren't there when she told me that."  
  
"True, but this is Parvati and Lavender we're talking about now. You know they'll brag about anything when they get the chance. I've known that since the Yule Ball in our fourth year when Parvati couldn't stop bragging about the Beauxbatons boy. So let's stop talking about them. Let's stop talking all together."  
  
"So, what can we do, if we aren't talking?" Hermione questioned, her heart beating steadily and nervously.  
  
Harry didn't answer her with words. He placed his lips on Hermione's forehead, and Hermione understood completely.  
  
They had to stay safe, for the sake of the world. All in all, everything would come out right. They just had to. Whatever they had to sacrifice, they'd sacrifice. And that was simply the truth.  
  
~*~  
  
"Tell me more, tell me more," Lucius said, suddenly with much more interest.  
  
"Oh yeah, Xander's at Hogwarts right now. He's going to lure Hermione into some place – by herself. Then he'll kill her discreetly. Harry, naturally being the hero he pretends to be, will try to go and find Hermione. Once he sees that she's dead, he'll fight Xander. Of course no mere wizard can fight a vampire that easily. Xander will triumph, killing both of them. I dare say that's the plan we're going to go through with," Narcissa replied nonchalantly.  
  
There was a glint in Lucius' eyes that just screamed evil. He looked as though his birthday had come early at last.  
  
"I like, I like. Finally, that idiot's going to be out of our way forever. I'm only surprised that Tom – er, the Dark Lord couldn't kill him sooner. But then again, the Dark Lord had his reasons, er, I'm sure. Never the less, Tasha and Xander are going to be rewarded by the Dark Lord for this – a lot. How come we haven't had any honor for a long time?"  
  
Suddenly Narcissa was wearing a frown. She tugged at her revolting brown robe and gave Lucius a nasty look.  
  
"Last time we did work was more like me doing work. Don't you remember? I had to go to Hogwarts and give that nasty little girl, Cassandra, a piece of my mind – and that message for the Dark Lord."  
  
"I do a lot of work too!"  
  
"Like what? All you've been trying to do is get Dumbledore out of office, and you've been failing miserably for your whole life! So why don't you give up and try a new angle?"  
  
"How dare you tell me what to do?"  
  
"Oh, so very easily. You just don't know..." Narcissa trailed off.  
  
She changed the subject.  
  
"Maybe it would be good if Cassandra died. I mean, it would take Draco's mind off of her and on to other things."  
  
"Don't play with his love life Narcissa. I'm warning you. Somebody made the same mistake for me, and it's gotten me – never mind."  
  
"What? Am I not good enough for you? I try to be. I honestly try to be! Maybe Severus would have been more to my liking!"  
  
"He probably would have. Tasha and I had a thing before. You know we did."  
  
"So what if I did? Tasha or no Tasha, we're here, together now, aren't we?"  
  
"Not by my choice!"  
  
"Well, fine then! I'm leaving!"  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione suddenly woke up.  
  
The lights were still dim. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was. She had fallen asleep on Harry's bed.  
  
Hermione turned around to find Harry. He wasn't there.  
  
She looked at the time. Heavens! It was only eleven or so at night. She was only asleep for about an hour.  
  
Harry must have gone to check on Cassandra.  
  
Poor Cassandra! Hermione wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to her. How cruel of Draco to suggest a duel! How idiotic of Ron to accept! In any rate, Hermione felt as though she was the one to blame. If only she would have stopped Ron and Draco in time. Or if only she would have insisted that Cassandra stay back for her own safety.  
  
But she kept her mouth shut. She was the true cruel person. She was the one who was idiotic. Not Draco, and not Ron. Only her. She was the only one to blame.  
  
Hermione hung her head.  
  
How could she have let this happen? It wasn't fair. Cassandra was too young to die. She had so much spirit, so much laughter, and yet here she was, wasting away in Madam Pomfrey's hospital.  
  
There was no point in feeling depressed. Hermione jumped up and ran out to the common room. She saw all the seventh years lounging. A few sixth years remained. Harry wasn't in there though. Neither was Ron.  
  
Hermione walked back up to the hospital. She saw Harry and Ron standing beside Cassandra's bedside. They were completely silent. Then Hermione listened hard. She heard a few croaks from Cassandra.  
  
Hermione rushed to Cassandra's bedside.  
  
"Cassandra! It's me! It's Hermione! Are you okay?" she begged.  
  
"I don't suppose I look okay, do I? My make-up must be smeared by now," Cassandra replied with a weak smile.  
  
"This isn't a time for jokes. I'm serious! Are you okay?" Hermione scolded.  
  
"When is there a good time for jokes? Only when someone needs to brighten up. So I'm going to joke around right now. Joke for me, you, Ron, and Harry. We all need some brightening up," Cassandra whispered.  
  
She was right. Whenever someone was in trouble, hurt, or feeling miserable, Cassandra always showed up, offering a smile and telling a joke. Now when she was the one hurt, she was trying to make herself feel better.  
  
Hermione cursed herself. She should be doing that too! No sense in bringing up the bad stuff. But she couldn't help it.  
  
"Does it hurt much?" she asked, swallowing a few tears that had dribbled down to her mouth.  
  
The saltiness tingled in her tongue.  
  
"Yeah. I'm only lucky that it wasn't my heart that Draco hit. I expected this to happen anyway. I've got that sixth sense, remember? Divination? I was planning on teaching Divination. I really was. But I can't Hermione. My time's slipping away from me. It's going far, far away. You have to promise me that when I die, you'll be loyal to Hogwarts. This was where I found my true friends, my true love, my true life. I'll never leave Hogwarts. I'll always be here in mind and spirit. I'll always look over you and make sure that you stay safe. Think of me as your Guardian Angel, for once and always."  
  
"Cassandra! Don't talk about death," Hermione cried, tears streaming down her face again.  
  
"Death is not bad. Death is simply taking you away. You go when your time has come. When it is over. My time is over Hermione, Harry, Ron. My time is over, but it doesn't mean that yours is. I've been seeing this for a long time. We may all die in tragic ways, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy our lives. We'll all die at one point. That doesn't mean we can't laugh or sing. It doesn't mean we can't have our good days and our bad days, our failing Potions exams or our A plus Charms homework. It simply means that we live our life to the fullest and enjoy every moment of it. So, when I die I want you to remember not to drown on your sorrows. Don't think about my death. Only think of all the good times we had, and if you do, then I will be with you forever. If you do not, then I will be sorry. But please, do not throw your life away simply because of me. Good night."  
  
And with that Cassandra fell into a deep sleep. Hermione wasn't sure if it would be the last time she would ever she Cassandra awake again.  



	50. Poor Ron

Chapter Fifty: Poor Ron  
  
Hermione felt frozen and shaky. She was exasperated, yet she kept silent. After a silent look towards the other three, Hermione realized that Cassandra was really asleep and shouldn't be waken.  
  
Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Draco left the hospital lifelessly.  
  
Hermione looked at her watch. She just realized that it was past midnight, and her stomach gave a lurch.  
  
Without any words, all four of them strolled down to the Great Hall for a bit of Supper.  
  
Most of the food was gone. It had been taken away by all the house-elves. Now the only things left were cold soup and dry bread. Each of them took half a bowl of soup and a piece each of the nearly stale bread.  
  
Still there was no conversation. They slowly munched on their food. Finally Draco broke the ice.  
  
"She didn't say my name," he muttered gravely.  
  
"What are you talking about Malfoy?" Harry asked bitterly.  
  
Draco shot him a nasty glare.  
  
"When she talked, she said Hermione, Harry, Ron, but she didn't say my name," Draco replied a bit hurt.  
  
"I'm not surprised," Ron retorted.  
  
Draco threw another look full of hatred across the table towards Ron.  
  
"You're a piece of scum Weasley! If you wouldn't have messed with Cassandra in the first place then none of this would have happened!" Draco exclaimed.  
  
"It isn't my fault, you know! Cassandra chose the one that was the best, and it just so happened to be me! Besides, it was you who had the idiotic idea to duel!" Ron shouted back.  
  
"And your idiotic idea to accept! Honestly, both of you are so full of yourselves that you had to fight each other. You didn't do it for Cassandra. You did it for you. For your pride! And even if you did do it for Cassandra that was pointless too! Cassandra would have chose Ron no matter what!" Hermione exclaimed annoyed.  
  
Ron looked hard at her. Hermione was surprised to see tears almost glistening in his eyes.  
  
Then, without another word, Ron left the table.  
  
Right after him, Draco got up and stepped slowly out of the Great Hall.  
  
Finally only Harry and Hermione were left to finish their cold soup – in the suddenly very cold gray castle.  
  
~*~  
  
Narcissa walked outside for a while. She felt the warm pleasant weather touch her cold and aged cheekbones.  
  
How cruel she felt to be doing these horrible deeds for the Dark Lord. Her parents were ashamed of her – more or less afraid of her, and that wasn't the worst of it. No matter how much she did, no matter how much she tried, there was no way she got to be more popular with Tom.  
  
It wasn't that important though... Popularity was nothing at her age...  
  
Suddenly Narcissa had an idea! She quickly apparated herself to the Dark Arts Institute.  
  
A whirl of colors sped by her, and then she realized that she was inside the castle. Tasha Creeder was standing in front of her practicing spells.  
  
Tasha's eyes widened instantly when she saw Narcissa. She dropped her wand and a heavy spell book and ran straight to her.  
  
"Has he done it yet? Has he conquered them for us?" Tasha asked eagerly.  
  
She was talking about Xander.  
  
"I'm not sure. I'll be talking to him tonight," Narcissa replied hesitantly.  
  
"Then why'd you come?" Tasha asked with her hands on her hips.  
  
"I'm not sure. I just felt like it, I guess," Narcissa said.  
  
"Well, come back when you actually have something to say!" Tasha snapped.  
  
She ushered Narcissa out the door.  
  
How idiotic Narcissa suddenly felt! She couldn't believe that she thought she would have actually been allowed to see the Dark Lord. She just popped into the Dark Arts Institute without a proper idea.  
  
Narcissa gazed out into the blood red land with a pitch-black sky. There was nothing really to see. Only a fat slug or two crept along the ground. Narcissa shivered. Where did she go so wrong? How did she turn so evil? Her parents weren't even Slytherin. She could have been like Lily – but no! She didn't. She turned into an evil Death Eater.  
  
Narcissa quickly apparated back to the north tower of her dreary mansion. She lit a fire in the dark room where she sat, and pulled out her wand. Then she pulled out a large spell book. Written on top was 'Dedria Seniora, A Guide to Magical Conversations'. She flipped through the spell book quickly, as if she were looking for something.  
  
Then she finally found it. On page 693, she saw exactly what she needed to do exactly what she had to do. Narcissa took her wand with her fingers and sat in a chair with a desk facing the wall. She touched the tip of the wand to the wall and began moving it around in a circle.  
  
Then she began chanting, over and over again, the same words.  
  
"Sari Lana, Sari Cama, Sari Lana, Tara Hay! Sari Lana, Sari Cama, Sari Lana, Tara Hay! Xander at Hogwarts Sari Cama! Xander at Hogwarts Sari Cama! Hole through the wall now, Sari Lana! Hole through the wall now, Sari Lana! Sari Lana, Tara Hay! Sari Lana, Tara Hay!" she chanted rapidly.  
  
Her wand kept forming circles until finally a magical blue light appeared. It shot the wall out of the way and formed an entire force field of hot blue light. Suddenly Xander's face came into view.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked sullenly.  
  
"Have you finished them off yet?" Narcissa asked wildly.  
  
"I'm not your slave. I'll get to it on my own time," Xander replied.  
  
"I don't think so! Your mom thought you had already killed them and were not basking in your own glory. You better get to work young man," Narcissa snapped.  
  
Xander showed her his fangs.  
  
"Careful, I bite," he said shortly.  
  
"I don't know what you think you are, but you better quit that nonsense. You're on a mission here – for the dark lord," Narcissa reminded him.  
  
"I don't care about the Dark Lord! He's just some idiot that people follow for no reason. If I had friends that licked my shoes as you do to him, then I'd do some crazy things too. Like kill anyone who wasn't a vampire for example!" Xander exclaimed.  
  
"Well, you don't have any friends, and you wouldn't dare do something like that. What about Severus? How's he doing?" Narcissa asked.  
  
"Oh, my father who abandoned me when I was a baby? He's so afraid of me that he's being super nice to everyone. I've heard he's a real jerk and totally rude – he sure didn't act like it so I plainly guessed that something was up. I guess he was afraid of me. I'm not surprised – he should be. He knows what a vampire can do..." Xander trailed off.  
  
"This is no time to goof off Xander! You listen to me good now, you hear? Kill Hermione. Kill Harry! Just finish them off as quickly as you can. Don't make me ask you twice!" Narcissa snapped.  
  
She muttered something under her breath and the fierce blue light shut down completely and the wall was put together again.  
  
Narcissa took a deep breath and sighed loudly. What was she going to do now?  
  
~*~  
  
"Ron! I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It was completely out of line," Hermione said to the mirror.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"No, no, no! What am I supposed to say to him?"  
  
Hermione was all alone in her room. She was thinking of what to say to Ron. She felt so bad when she saw tears brimming in his eyes and wanted to do anything to make it up to him.  
  
"Ron. Please don't be mad at me for earlier. I didn't mean to..."  
  
No, that wasn't right either.  
  
"Well, I'll just say something. In the meantime, I need to go find him," Hermione acknowledged.  
  
She dusted off her flares and sneaked into Ron and Harry's room. Ron was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Ron?" she asked nervously.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Ron?" she asked again.  
  
"What?" was the short reply.  
  
"I'm sorry about Cassandra. She was my best friend and I guess I was only upset about her accident. That's why I came off so hard on you. I really didn't mean to. Are you okay?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't know. I've almost lost everything I've been living for," Ron replied.  
  
"What are you talking about? You've got a whole life ahead of you! Besides, Cassandra isn't dead, okay? If you act like she's dead then she will be, and I don't want her to be dead!" Hermione screeched.  
  
"I'm not totally convinced," Ron mumbled.  
  
"Well, fine! Be that way Ron! If you're going to be such a negative person, then go straight ahead! There isn't anyone stopping you. I hope you're happy!" Hermione shouted.  
  
She flung herself out the door and left Ron all by himself.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry was so worn out. He just had another session of Dark Arts practice with Remus Lupin. Lupin taught him more spells and gave him a large spell book that he kept hidden in a safe to practice out of. He also gave Harry books on the controlling of Dark Arts powers so that Harry wouldn't go out of control and on top of that he gave him a Potion that weakened the Potion McGonagall had given him – so he wouldn't have crazy mood swings.  
  
Now Harry was heading back to his bed for a little nap.  
  
He crawled through the Portrait Hole and walked up the stairs to his room.  
  
Suddenly he saw Ron ready to curse himself!  



	51. Good-bye Dean

Chapter Fifty-One: Good-bye Dean  
  
Harry ran towards Ron and pulled Ron's wand out of his hands.  
  
"What are you doing?" he yelled.  
  
"Killing myself. I have no reason to live!" Ron shouted back.  
  
"Don't be stupid! You can't do that. Even if Cassandra dies, that doesn't mean that you need to die too, okay? Cassandra only came into your life this year. Besides, you've still got me and Hermione. It's not like you'll have no one to talk to after she dies – if she dies..." Harry trailed off.  
  
"You think so?" Ron asked a bit calmly.  
  
"I think she will die – but it's best if we don't talk about it. You better not kill yourself Ron! I'm warning you!" Harry shouted.  
  
"Okay, I won't commit suicide. Cassandra wouldn't want me to do that. She said so," Ron decided.  
  
Harry's face suddenly relaxed.  
  
"Thanks Ron," he said.  
  
Ron put away his wand.  
  
"Know what?" he asked.  
  
"What?" Harry questioned.  
  
"We've got Divination homework," Ron said.  
  
"And this means we make everything up?" Harry asked with a grin.  
  
"Of course," Ron replied simply.  
  
"Great!" Harry sarcastically exclaimed.  
  
He pulled out some parchment and took a quill and began to furiously explain how a Mars and Neptune alignment meant that he would have a bad Charms Class.  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
~*~  
  
Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy, and Parvati Patil were standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest lashing out at each other.  
  
"Draco! Excuse me, but I thought that we were going out. Why were you hanging around Cassandra's death bed?" Parvati screeched.  
  
"How did you know about that?" Draco asked suddenly.  
  
"I went up to Madam Pomfrey to deliver a vat of Gerbellium Weed Solution from Professor Sprouts and I saw you looking at her like an ice cream cone..." Parvati explained, not too kindly.  
  
"No, she was just a friend a while ago..." Draco trailed off.  
  
"A friend? Just a friend? That's a laugh in it's self Draco Malfoy!" Pansy exclaimed.  
  
"Shut up Pansy!" Draco said with a glare. He rubbed his temples and looked as if he needed to take a seat.  
  
"Oh, so she was more than a friend, huh?" Parvati accused.  
  
"Maybe she was...... Maybe she wasn't......" Draco suddenly said.  
  
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Parvati questioned. "You know what Draco? Right now, you're going out with me! You're not going out with Cassandra. Cassandra's going to die – the whole school knows it! So, why don't you give up on the little attention wanting prat and focus on me for a change?"  
  
"Excuse me, but you're a bigger snob than Miss Cassandra Nicole Taylor, over there!" Pansy shouted.  
  
"Both of you need to shut up! I'm leaving!" Draco yelled.  
  
And with that he ran back into the castle.  
  
~*~  
  
"Jupiter shifts it's orbit which causes my owl to eat my Potions homework," Harry mumbled.  
  
"And that makes Snape hit you on the head with a cauldron," Ron added.  
  
"Oh yeah! Good one Ron," Harry replied.  
  
They were still sitting in the common room, finishing their Divination homework. Suddenly Hermione popped through the door.  
  
She had calmed down reasonably and had a serene look present on her face. Her hands were filled with books. She dropped them with a thud and sat down.  
  
"What are those for?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm doing some reading up on different creatures. Creatures we need to be aware of. I had the strangest dream. I've been having dreams again..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Again?" Ron questioned with a bewildered look on his face.  
  
"Yes..." Hermione replied hesitantly.  
  
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. Ron didn't know a single thing about Hermione's dreams and they certainly couldn't drop them on him now.  
  
"I think I'm going to go up to my room for a few minutes to freshen up," Hermione decided suddenly.  
  
"Yeah, me too," Harry called after her.  
  
Ron gave them a look – as if he suspected something. Harry and Hermione both offered wry smiles and ran upstairs.  
  
At the cross intersection, Harry slipped into Hermione's room.  
  
"What was it this time?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"A vampire," Hermione replied nervously.  
  
"What??? What happened?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, I'm pretty sure it was a vampire... I mean, I never got to see the face, so I think it's a person at Hogwarts... but the creature – er, vampire never revealed himself. His face was always covered behind the hooded cape he was wearing. It was a blood red cape. He were midnight black pants with a shiny belt and the most lurid black shirt. His dragon boots had weird markings in them. And he kept whispering words under his breath. I never got a clear sound of his voice, but is was definitely a male voice that I heard," Hermione said.  
  
"Well, what happened?" Harry inquired.  
  
"We were in the Forbidden Forest. For some reason I was there. It was the middle of the night and the only thing to give us light was the moon – which was covered by many clouds. I was trying to leave but vines started grabbing my feet and pulling me back. I was frozen stiff. There was nothing I could do, so I stayed there. Then the vampire started coming closer and closer. Then I saw his lips. They were blood red – just like his cloak. In fact, there was blood dripping from it – as if it had already drank the blood of another person... It was extremely scary. Then he opened his mouth, his fangs oozing with blood as well, and nearly suck his teeth into my neck. I was trying to scream but no sound came out of my mouth! It was quite frightening, and quite frankly, it was rather grotesque. I was scared out of my wits. So, that's about it. Then I woke up," Hermione finished.  
  
"This is creepy! Your dreams certainly have a knack of coming true... I wonder who at our school is a vampire. If your dreams are recent then it must be someone we just met..." Harry said thoughtfully.  
  
"Well, whoever it is, I'm reading up as much as I can on vampires and how to protect myself from them. If you ask me, you should too," Hermione advised.  
  
"All I have to do is wear some garlic around my neck," Harry teased.  
  
"I'm serious Harry! We've got to be careful. I have a feeling this guy's doing work for Voldemort..." Hermione insisted.  
  
"Yeah. Besides, would you want to kiss me if I smelt like garlic?" Harry joked.  
  
"Harry! Be serious! Please!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Okay, okay," Harry replied.  
  
He stared out into space for a minute, and then looked back up at Hermione.  
  
"Who do you think it is?" he asked.  
  
"Well, someone new... Someone strange... That would be my guess," Hermione replied.  
  
"You're such an air head Hermione. I'm surprised you didn't think of it sooner," Harry suddenly said.  
  
"What do you mean? Do you know who it is?" Hermione asked eagerly.  
  
"Of course. It's the new kid – Xander!"  
  
~*~  
  
Who did Narcissa think she was? It wasn't fair. Xander was better than any of them, even the stupid Dark Lord. He could control the world if he wanted to. Why was he doing dirty work for his dinky mother? Of course it was better than working for his idiotic, good-for-nothing, stupid father! How could Severus have abandoned Xander's mum? It wasn't fair – not fair at all!  
  
So, what was Xander going to do?  
  
He paced the foot of his bed anxiously, waiting for a plan to come to him.  
  
Then he suddenly had it! He was going to do something horrible, something very horrible. It would get rid of several people. This would give him more power – and it would get rid of several people... several people...  
  
~*~  
  
"Xander! Oh, of course! You're right Harry. I truly am an air head!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"I was only kidding, and I knew from the beginning that Xander was a creep!" Harry replied quickly.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. I wonder who the first person was that he attacked, but he's obviosuly going to be after you next," Harry said.  
  
"I can't believe it! He was paying so much attention to me. He was totally evil. I'm astounded at myself! I should have been able to spot it before!" Hermione cried.  
  
"Well, you didn't. But don't worry about your faults, okay? It's not going to help right now. Let's just go to the common room and sit down with everybody else. Let's pretend everything's normal, okay?" Harry suggested.  
  
"All right. I can do that," Hermione replied calmly.  
  
They walked back to the common room. Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati had presently joined Ron. Parvati was looking quite depressed and Lavender seemed to be doing her best to cheer her up.  
  
"You look lovely today Parvati," Lavender said.  
  
"Quit sucking up!" Parvati snapped.  
  
Lavender was apparently taken back. She sat firmly in the couch after glaring at Parvati.  
  
"Hey guys," Hermione and Harry both said.  
  
Everybody waved. Only Seamus and Ron smiled.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud slam of the portrait hole. Ginny Weasley ran in with her face as pale as ever!  
  
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! You guys won't believe what just happened! Great wizards! Would you believe it? I don't believe it! How could this have happened? This is the worst thing in the world!" Ginny exclaimed as the burst into the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"What's the matter Ginny?" Hermione asked, obviously bewildered.  
  
Ginny ran into Seamus' lap. She began to sob dramatically.  
  
"What's wrong Ginny?" Seamus asked softly.  
  
"You had better come quick. They think that Dean is dead!"  
  
~*~  
  
"WHAT?" Seamus exclaimed, jumping out of the couch.  
  
"Yes, I know. It's horrible!" Ginny cried.  
  
"How? How Ginny? Do you know?" Seamus asked, grabbing Ginny's wrists tightly.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure. Madam Pomfrey knows that Dean's blood count is extremely low. He had sharp gashes across his neck. Madam Pomfrey is almost positive that it was the work of a vampire. Professor Lupin found him at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, fainted. He carried Dean back up to the castle and straight to the Hospital room. Then Madam Pomfrey tended to him. Cassandra's doing much better so she was able to do a few things for him. She was trying to help out so much that she passed out again. They're both being hospitalized. There's only shallow breathing coming from both of them, so I have no clue what's going on... All I know is that Dean is nearly dead because a vampire bit him. Those things are lethal, you know," Ginny finished breathlessly.  
  
"I've got to go see him!" Seamus exclaimed.  
  
He ran out of the portrait hole.  
  
Harry and Hermione exchanged positively shocked glances and ran after him. Ron, Parvati, Lavender, and Ginny were close behind them.  
  
Finally they reached the hospital.  
  
Seamus rushed to Madam Pomfrey at once.  
  
"What happened? Is he okay?" Seamus begged.  
  
"I'm sure you've heard the news from Ginny," Madam Pomrey said with a pressed look towards her. "And what I have to say next isn't good at all. Dean is truly dead. I'm sorry to say, but there was nothing I could do for him."  
  
"What? He can't be dead!" Seamus exclaimed.  
  
He just lost his best friend and felt as though he was at the depths of despair.  
  
"Are you serious?" he pleaded.  
  
"Quite so Mr. Finnigan. I'm extremely sorry and I acknowledge your loss. You are permitted to going and seeing him. All of you are, as you were all his closest friends here. His parents have been notified and they will be coming shortly," Madam Pomfrey explained.  
  
She opened the door towards Dean's bed and let them all inside. Then she closed the door behind them and went back to her seat sadly.  
  
As they all peered at Dean's frozen body, tears slipped out of everyone's eyes.  
  
"They're all going away. Everyone's leaving us. Everyone's dying!" Hermione cried.  
  
Harry let her sob onto his shoulder. He attempted to soothe her, but nothing was working.  
  
"I mean, is it too much to ask that everyone be safe? What did Hagrid do wrong? What did Cassandra do wrong? What did Dean to wrong? They did nothing wrong! Nothing at all! I can't believe that this could happen to them! And what did your parents do wrong? Nothing again! This isn't fair! I hate Voldemort! I hate Slytherins! I hate Xander!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
She ran out of the room and Harry followed after her.  
  
Ginny had a puzzled look on her face.  
  
"What does the new kid have to do with Dean's death?" she asked in a soft whisper.  
  
"I don't know," Ron said thoughtfully, "but I'm planning on finding out! 


	52. Harry's Crazy Plan

Chapter Fifty-Two: Harry's Crazy Plan  
  
Hermione flung herself around her corner, but Harry grabbed her.  
  
"What were you thinking? Now Ron knows that something's up!" Harry exclaimed with a half angry expression on his face.  
  
"I'm sorry! I was just really upset! Besides, we don't have to tell Ron anything, do we?" Hermione asked stupidly.  
  
Harry gave her a 'look'.  
  
"Okay, okay. Stupid question," Hermione said, smiling sheepishly.  
  
"I could tell Ron knew we were hiding something," Harry muttered gravely.  
  
"Well, it's not the worst thing in the world. We could avoid him or something..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"And make him hate me for the rest of our lives? I don't think so!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Okay, okay. Be that way. I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to bed," Hermione decided.  
  
"Good night," Harry said quickly kissing her forehead before she ran to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione had no idea where she was going – or why she was going. Somehow she crept out of Gryffindor Tower. It must have been around midnight. She was slowly walking outside of the castle. Then suddenly she found herself edging towards the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Something was pulling her towards the Forest. Her foot pace started going a lot faster and her heart beat was beating quicker. There was a cold wind that suddenly over powered her. Hermione was shivering. How stupid she thought she was – not to bring her cloak in the chilly night. The cold and evil night.  
  
Suddenly Hermione felt a horrible sense of deja vu. She was now walking into the forest and her teeth began to chatter. There was no light source. Only the moon. Only the moon – and even that didn't give much light due to the clouds covering it up. Deja vu...  
  
"Hermione," said a muffled voice.  
  
Hermione looked up. She didn't know where she was. Then she saw the male in the long, lurid, blood red, revolting cape! It was the very same dark, mysterious, and horrid cape from her dream! Hermione took a deep breath and tried to get away from the spot at once but there was ivy tangling around her feet and not letting her move. She was trapped!  
  
"Hermione..." the strange voice trailed off.  
  
"I know who it is!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
This was not like her dream! In her dream she didn't know who the person was, but now she knew it was Xander! At that very moment, Hermione realized that it was possible to change fate, and she was given the miraculous power to do so! Hermione tried to pull her arms out of the weeds that were wrapping ever so tightly around her.  
  
"It's you Xander! I know it is!" Hermione exclaimed kicking and pushing the wicked plants as rapidly as she possibly could.  
  
"Calm down Hermione. I don't bite," Xander said with a mere chuckle.  
  
"When are you going to tell me something true, huh Xander? I mean, I know about you! I know who you are! I know what you are!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"You don't know everything about me yet Hermione. There are many things you don't know about me..."  
  
"So, what are you going to do now?" Hermione asked nervously – speaking with much more courage than she felt.  
  
"Can't you see? Any moment now your stupid little boyfriend's going to come..." Xander trailed off.  
  
"Oh yeah? Well, what are you going to do?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm going to kill you of course!" Xander exclaimed.  
  
Suddenly Hermione had her back on a tree and Xander was coming down on her. There was a loud shout behind them.  
  
"I'm not going to let you!" the voice shouted.  
  
Both of them whipped their heads up and saw Harry take Godric's sword and make a large gash through many of the vines holding Hermione in place.  
  
Hermione dropped to the ground. She felt dirt on her clothes and quickly brushed it off.  
  
"Well, well, well," Xander chuckled again though he was clearly thrown off.  
  
"Harry Potter. We meet," he added.  
  
"In the flesh!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"My fangs are more dangerous than your little sword!" Xander said.  
  
"Godric's sword against evil. I think it's clear who will win!" Harry exclaimed, quite confident.  
  
In the meantime Hermione ran back into the castle to fetch Dumbledore, Lupin, and McGonagall.  
  
"Professor McGonagall! Professor McGonagall!" Hermione exclaimed, banging on McGonagall's door.  
  
Minerva McGonagall ran to the door and opened it at once.  
  
"Whatever is the matter dear child? I know you've heard of Dean, but I sense that it could be something else..." she stated nervously.  
  
"Yes Professor! You must come quick! Bring the headmaster along with you. Professor Lupin as well. Harry and Xander are down at the Forbidden Forest! Xander was attacking me, and then Harry showed up on the spot and now they're trying to kill each other! Xander's a vampire Professor! He could kill Harry any second now! You must do something to stop him from hurting Harry! You must all come as quickly as you possibly can!" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly.  
  
"Very well Hermione. Dumbledore and I are on our way. Lupin has left, er... for a while, but Dumbledore and I will be there at once!" McGonagall exclaimed.  
  
Hermione ran back outside, waiting for Dumbledore and McGonagall to show up. When they finally did, they all ran to the forest and they saw gashes across Xander's shirt and slimy green blood oozing out! Harry had no gashes of the sort, but Xander was doing his best to try and sink his sharp fangs into Harry's skin!  
  
Suddenly Dumbledore looked very fierce indeed. He whipped out his wand and shouted, "Molarsenorious!"  
  
Xander fell to the ground completely knocked out.  
  
Hermione looked at Dumbledore with arched eye brows. "What on Earth did you just do?" she inquired.  
  
"A complex Charm working against only vampires. Their fangs reduce remarkably in size because the charm takes away all the poison in the teeth. Then the vampire becomes so weak that it gets knocked out. Tricky little charm I picked up during a convention in Transylvania," Dumbledore said.  
  
His eyes rekindled their twinkling and there was a mere smile on his face.  
  
Professor McGonagall heaved a sigh, looking quite relieved. Harry ran over to them.  
  
"Great wizards! I'm so glad you guys are here. I thought that I wouldn't be able to take him after a few minutes. I sensed something. Hermione told me about a dream she had so I thought that maybe her dream was coming to life – just like mine – so I decided to come to the Forbidden Forest and see for myself," Harry explained.  
  
"Good thing you did. Ms. Granger had no form of defense and could have been seriously injured. I don't think it was wise that you didn't bring a wand, Mr. Potter..." Dumbledore said with a look.  
  
"Lay off Dumbledore! At least I saved Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, suddenly quite angry.  
  
"True, true," Dumbledore replied, not wanting to stir up an argument.  
  
"Well, come along. Tomorrow's Friday. You've got classes!" McGonagall barked.  
  
"Where did Professor Lupin go?" Hermione asked Professor McGonagall as they were walking back to the castle.  
  
"He went to his home for a while. The battle squad is getting ready to fight Voldemort. Sirius Black and Lupin are the leaders. Soon Harry shall go to them," McGonagall replied wearily.  
  
"Only Harry? Not me?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Hermione, do you honestly think that it is wise for you to go? You are book smart, but how long will you survive with Voldemort?" McGonagall snapped.  
  
"Professor McGonagall! I've had my share of adventures and I think I'm perfectly capable of handling it. If Harry goes, then I go!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
McGonagall rubbed her temple.  
  
"I have a headache Miss Granger. Please do not ail me now. Tomorrow we shall discuss it," McGonagall said.  
  
It was her way of saying goodnight.  
  
~*~  
  
Hermione woke up a bit late. She woke up late because she didn't hear Cassandra hustling and bustling around. She woke up late because she couldn't hear Cassandra rummaging through her wardrobe for her prettiest robe or searching through her make up for the perfect shade of eye shadow. Hermione missed Cassandra so much! She simply felt empty without her, and now that she was still in the Hospital with shallow breathing and nothing else, Hermione thought it would be impossible for Cassandra to come back to life.  
  
Hermione took her shower and put on a plain, black three-quarter sleeve shirt with snake skin pants. She pulled the top half of her hair up and twisted it around with a claw clip until a few strands of hair stuck up in the back of her head. Then she put on a pair of silver hoop earrings, pale eye shadow, and lip gloss. She pulled on her black work robe and headed down stairs for breakfast.  
  
As Hermione poked at her oatmeal, she saw Harry running towards her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Well, before I say anything else. You look gorgeous!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
Hermione blushed.  
  
"Thanks!" she replied. "So, what's got you so happy?"  
  
"Well, McGonagall gave me the map to Lupin's house. I've got a long way to go. I know McGonagall probably won't let you go – since she doesn't think we should be together – but I figure that if we're going to leave, we should probably leave after a good breakfast!" Harry decided.  
  
Hermione jumped up.  
  
"Are you serious, or are you crazy? It's gotta be one of those. I don't like that look in your eyes! We've got a Herbology test today! I'm guessing that you're crazy!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Come on Hermione! Let's do this now! I want to be trained! Don't you?" Harry asked with his green eyes shining.  
  
"Well, of course I do... It's just that..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"Know what? You need to eat a really good breakfast. I've already had mine. Then pack a few clothes. Make it real light because I'm taking my Firebolt. Can you fly at all?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, I suppose I can... but I'm horrible," Hermione replied.  
  
"Well, I'll fly for as long as I can. Then you can steer. We'll have to take many breaks!" Harry said excitedly.  
  
"This is going to be so much fun! It feels kinda romantic, actually... I mean, me and you are running off to who knows where to save our world. Totally adventurous, daring, and it's going to be me and you!" Hermione said sighing.  
  
"Of course Hermione! Me and you, saving the world, one step at a time! Well, go pack some clothes. Wear your cloak. It's chilly. I'll be waiting for you in the common room!" Harry told Hermione quickly.  
  
"Well, okay. Let me have something to eat first," Hermione said.  
  
"You've just given me a brilliant idea! Why don't I go to the Kitchens and nick some food from Dobby? Otherwise we'll be rather starving, and I don't want to be hungry while I'm flying," Harry decided.  
  
"Excellent! Grab some food then. I'll finish up breakfast. Then we'll go grab our stuff and leave! This is going to be tremendous fun!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Harry waved with a silly grin as he departed for the Kitchen. Suddenly Hermione finished up her food in a hurry and waited for Harry to return.  
  
When he did they scurried up to Gryffindor tower. Hermione grabbed a few jeans, five shirts, three sweaters, and a few robes. She threw them into a bag. Then she cast a charm on the bag that made it small and feather weight. When she finished she ran over to Harry's bedroom.  
  
"Harry, are you done?" she asked excitedly.  
  
"Almost Hermione. Here, take the map from me. I've packed a few things, but I think it's going to be rather heavy," he said frowning.  
  
"Don't worry Harry," Hermione told him.  
  
Then she quickly put the same charm on Harry's things that she put on her stuff.  
  
"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Where's the food bag?" Hermione asked.  
  
Harry handed it to her. Hermione repeated the charm again.  
  
"You wouldn't believe how easy this is going to be on me now! I'll be able to fly so much quicker! Do you have the map?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yes," Hermione said.  
  
She put the three bags, and the map in her pocket. Harry grabbed his broom. Then they snuck out of Hogwarts. Everyone else was so busy – getting to the first class of the day that they hardly noticed two seventh year Gryffindors had gone missing at that very moment.  
  
"Are you ready Hermione?" Harry asked with every bit of sparkle in his eyes.  
  
"Quite ready Mr. Potter!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Well, then, let's go!"  



	53. The Divining Book

Chapter Fifty-Three: The Divining Book  
  
"Harry! This is so exciting!" Hermione exclaimed as her teeth chattered in the chilly weather.   
  
"I know, I know! I just hope I can follow this map. It's old and rugged. Lupin lives far off!" Harry replied excitedly.   
  
"Well, I'm sure we'll find our way. Let's walk to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. We should take off from there, don't you think?" Hermione asked.   
  
Harry nodded.   
  
"Good idea," he said.   
  
"Well, I'm always the brilliant one, right?" Hermione teased.   
  
"Always and forever," Harry replied with a grin.   
  
They found their ways to the edge of the forest. Harry climbed on the shiny Firebolt.   
  
"Get on in front of me," he directed.   
  
Hermione climbed on.   
  
"Hold tight," he commanded.   
  
She did. Then Harry slowly lifted up into the air.   
  
"Are you sure no one will be able to see us?" Hermione asked slightly worried.   
  
"I'm not positive or anything but I'll do my best to keep us out of sight," Harry replied as he concentrated on the path.   
  
"Okay, that's fine," Hermione said.   
  
For a few minutes no one spoke. Harry lifted them higher and higher into the air. They flew over hills and mountains. Hermione pulled her cloak around her tightly whenever it got colder. Then, after a few hours, Harry stopped.   
  
"Anything wrong?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Yeah, my back's killing me," Harry replied.   
  
Hermione giggled. They swiftly flew down. There was a large oak tree perched in a high hill. It led down to a quiet and small village. Harry landed there, and they both jumped off the broom.   
  
"We can have a picnic!" Hermione said delighfully. "Are you hungry?"   
  
"Yeah, a bit. Do you want to eat here or find a place down in the village to eat?" Harry inquired.   
  
"Anything's fine with me," Hermione replied.   
  
"Okay. Then we'll eat up on this hill. I'll spread my cloak out –"   
  
"Are you crazy? It's freezing out here. We don't need a cloth. We'll just place all our things on my bag."   
  
"Okay. And then we'll go to the village for a little bit and pick up some more food and other things."br   
"Other things, like what?" Hermione pondered.   
  
"Like stuff," Harry replied with a wry grin.   
  
Hermione playfully slapped him. Then they opened up the food basket, put a maximizing charm on it, and began to eat.   
  
"I didn't realize how hungry I was," Hermione said.   
  
"Well, it's about three in the afternoon," Harry remarked.   
  
"Really? Is it that late?" Hermione asked, shocked.   
  
"Yes. But we have a long journey ahead of us, I'm afraid. Let me see the map real quick," Harry said.   
  
Hermione pulled the rugged map out of her bag and handed it to Harry. He took it in his hands and carefully studied it.   
  
"I think there may be a quicker way to go – if we don't follow the route Professor McGonagall told me to take," Harry said thoughtfully.   
  
"No way Harry! We could get lost. I do not want to take that risk!" Hermione exclaimed.   
  
"Oh come on! We'd still be following the map. It's just that we'd be going a lot faster. Anyway, I want to see Lupin and Sirius. I also want to get ready for battle. Don't you?" Harry asked with a pouty look on his face.   
  
"Oh, alright. But if we get lost, then it's completely your fault!" Hermione decided.   
  
"I can live with that. Will you hate me forever?" Harry asked.   
  
"Not forever, but for an awfully long time," Hermione teased.   
  
"Well then, I suppose it wouldn't be too hard..." Harry trailed off with a grin.   
  
Hermione put her arms on her hips and gave Harry a 'look'.   
  
They ate the few snacks they had with them quietly, and when they were all done, Hermione put her cloak back on and they walked down the hill to the village.   
  
As they neared the village they saw a little stout boy of only four or five running about with a bucket of water and a mop following him. Suddenly his mother came outside of her house and said, "No mageek Harold! Pick zat bucket and mop up and come into zee house zis instant!" At that minute, Harold decided to throw a tantrum and the mother had to come out into the street and drag him back in, hollering like a little baby.   
  
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. Almost as Harold's mother closed the door to their house, she noticed Harry and Hermione walking down the street. She gave them a sharp look and pushed Harold back into the house as a way of protection.   
  
"'oo are you and vhere have you come from?" she asked suspiciously.   
  
Harry pushed his bangs up and revealed his scar. At that moment the mother bowed down graciously and apologetically said, "Oh my goodness! I zid not know! It iz no one but ze savior of us all!"   
  
"Oh brother," Hermione muttered under her breath.   
  
"I zid not know if you were one of ze people from the Dark Side or not. I could not tell, for there are ever so many of zem lurking around zeese days, that one can never be sure. Oh, but Sir, vat brings you to veese parts of Europe?"   
  
Harry gave a quick bow and replied, "I'm in search of my Godfather and another one of my father's close friends. Myself and my friend are going to prepare for battle against Lord Voldemort."   
  
Harold's mother dropped the rag she was holding and her jaw dropped.   
  
"You speak ze name that no one ever duz. Come, come in quickly. It iz not safe for you to reveal yourself out here. You can come inside and rest. Of course you have had a long journey. You are from a place much South of zere."   
  
Harry and Hermione followed her inside a homely and friendly house with charming pictures of cute little Harold all around.   
  
"Vood you like summtheeng to dreenk or eat?" she asked.   
  
"No, we're fine thank you. Thank you for inviting us in. May I ask you for your name?" Harry asked politely.   
  
"Most certainly! I am Veronica Zurfimer. My husband was once an auror, but he 'as passed away now. It was ze Death Eaters who has killed him, and we've been great enemies of zem since then. I live by myself with Harold. In order to support us, I have a shop down ze street. In fact, I vas just about to go down and open up ze shop when I saw you," Mrs. Zurfimer said.   
  
"Well, don't let us keep you from your work," Hermione urged gently.   
  
"You dear children are not keeping me from me work at all! In fact, I shall go down now, I suppose. Vood you care to join me? You can have a look around ze shop if you'd like."   
  
"We'd love to Mrs. Zurfimer," Harry decided.   
  
A smile lightened Mrs. Zurfimer's face. "Exceptional! Vell, follow me. It'z but a small little down and only a slight risk of getting lost, but you never know. We voodn't want ze Death Eaters to kidnap any of our little souls..."   
  
Hermione and Harry followed Mrs. Zurfimer down the street for a few minutes until they reached a well furnished shop that read "Zurfimer Goods".   
  
They all entered. It was a quite interesting shop. There was food products to one side, household decorations to another, and then an assortment of books at the far back.   
  
"You have a very nice shop here," Hermione commented sweetly.   
  
Mrs. Zurfimer smiled again. "Why, thank you dear child. I haven't ask you what your name is yet though."   
  
"Hermione Granger," Hermione replied.   
  
She nearly ran straight to the books and began lifting them up and looking at them eagerly.   
  
"You like books I see," Mrs. Zurfimer said pleasantly. "My husband loved books. He lived off of zem."   
  
"So does Hermione," Harry replied laughing.   
  
"Well, I must open up the store. Enjoy yourselves, please."   
  
"We will, we will!" Hermione exclaimed.   
  
She picked up a book and turned it around in her hands. "Look at this Harry! It's a Divining Book!"   
  
"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," Harry said as he stopped fiddling with a antique clocks.   
  
"Well, I don't. Not really anyway. But, let's see what happens. Just for the fun of it," Hermione replied.   
  
"Okay," said Harry. Hermione lifted one of the ribbons out of the book and opened it up. There was a few lines if messy handwriting which said ~   
  
  
You are facing hard times   
Only the person you are closest to will be able to understand this   
You will remain with this person for the rest of your life   
But we do not know how long your life will last   
  
  
Hermione blushed.   
  
"Do you think that's for real?" Harry asked.   
  
Hermione blushed harder yet. "It's silly, this Divination stuff."   
  
"Right..." Harry trailed off.   
  
They thanked Mrs. Zurfimer for her kindness and left. 


End file.
